2 research outputs found
Construction of hybrid solar cells exploiting the interaction of TiO2/Photosystem I complexes
567-571Proteins produce chemical energy by absorbing light in the process of photosynthesis. The use of biological photonic
system has recently gained interest, especially in the field of solar energy conservation. The applications of photosynthetic
components in photovoltaic material and solar cells are very promising due to their environmental compatibility and
efficiency of energy conservation in photosynthesis. The recent advancement in the solar cell design includes the use of
photosystem, thylakoid membrane immobilised on polymeric electrode. Previous reports have confirmed the use of PSI as
photoelectric material in solar cells. The present work studies the integration of TiO2/PSI complexes with polymer
electrodes. Light harvesting complexes (LHC) were isolated from spinach by homogenising cell in lysis buffer. The isolated
proteins were then loaded onto DEAE-cellulose a type of ion-exchange chromatography for further purification. TiO2 layer
was then spin coated onto Indium Tin Oxide coated (ITO) plates followed by dipping in a solution containing LHCs for
30 min. Upon drying, using spin coating, a thin layer of Polypyrrole electrode was casted onto it. Optical parameters and
structural parameters were determined using UV-Vis analysis and XRD respectively. Efficiencies of the resulting devices
were calculated under Air mass 1.5 (AM 1.5) conditions. The results establish the successful preparation of a solar cell