Construction of a Dye-Sensitized Photoelectrochemical Solar Cell 30 using Plum Pigment Extract

Plums (Prunus Salicina) are darkly colored fruits which are known to contain anthocyanin pigments. During photosynthesis, anthocyanins are what protects the fruits from UV light and help attract pollinators to them such as bees. Anthocyanins were used to construct dye-sensitized photoelectrochemical solar cells since they are able to bind titanium dioxide to the hydroxide groups in their chemical structure. The process for extraction of the pigments included soaking the peels of the plums in acidified ethanol solution. The absorbance spectrum was obtained with a UV-VIS spectrophotometer which showed a peak at 530 nanometers. The plums’ pigment extract will be used to modify the titanium dioxide in dye-sensitized solar cells which will be further characterized measuring photocurrents with and without irradiation