Optical, Electrochemical, and Photovoltaic Evaluation of Suji Leaf (Dracaena angustifolia) Extract as a Natural Sensitizer for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

Authors

  • Asti Sawitri Department of Physics, Universitas Halim Sanusi, Bandung, 40116, Indonesia https://orcid.org/0009-0008-5742-5698
  • Hasniah Aliah Department of Physics, Faculty of Science and Technology, UIN Sunan Gunung Djati, Bandung, 40614, Indonesia
  • Siti Nur Jaoharoh Muthmainnah Darul Muqarabbin, Bandung, 40215, Indonesia
  • Ryan Nur Iman Department of Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Agriculture, Universitas Islam Nusantara, Bandung, 40286, Indonesia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.32734/jotp.v8i2.26017

Keywords:

Chlorophyll, DSSC, Natural Dye, Photovoltaic, Suji Leaf, TiO2

Abstract

A dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) is a third-generation solar cell technology that uses a dye as a sensitizer to convert light energy into electrical energy. This study aims to evaluate the potential of suji leaf extract (Dracaena angustifolia) as a natural dye for TiO₂-based DSSC using acetone and ethanol as solvents. Characterization was performed using UV-Vis, cyclic voltammetry (CV), and current–voltage (I–V) measurements. The UV-Vis results showed a maximum absorption peak at around 655 nm, indicating the dominance of chlorophyll pigments. The acetone extract produced higher absorbance and chlorophyll-a content than the ethanol extract. The CV results showed that the HOMO and LUMO energy levels of the acetone extract were −4.86 eV and −4.29 eV, respectively, whereas those of the ethanol extract were −4.90 eV and −4.44 eV. DSSC testing revealed that the acetone extract yielded a higher Voc value (0.0194 V) compared to the ethanol extract (0.0175 V), while both exhibited a Jsc value of 0.0667 mA·cm-2. The ethanol extract achieved a higher FF (57.9%) than the acetone extract (53.2%). The power conversion efficiencies obtained were 0.050% for the acetone solvent and 0.049% for the ethanol solvent. The results indicate that suji leaf has potential as a natural sensitizer in DSSC, with performance influenced by the choice of extraction solvent.

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Published

2026-08-25

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Vol. 8 No. 2 (2026): Journal of Technomaterial Physics

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