Photocurrent generation by adsorption of two main pigments of Halobacterium salinarum on T i O 2 nanostructured electrode

• Published in: Biotechnology and applied biochemistry 2015-01, Vol.62 (1), p.121-125
• Main Authors: Molaeirad, Ahmad, Janfaza, Sajad, Karimi‐Fard, Abbas, Mahyad, Baharak
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0885-4513; 1470-8744
• DOI: 10.1002/bab.1244

Dye‐sensitized solar cells ( DSSC s), which are proposed as a substitute for silicon crystalline solar cells, have received considerable attention in the recent decade. They could be produced from inexpensive materials through low‐cost processes. In the current work, a bio‐sensitized solar cell is designed using abundant, cheap, and nontoxic materials. Bacteriorhodopsin and bacterioruberin are two natural biomolecules found in the cytoplasmic membrane of H alobacterium salinarum . These two pigments were immobilized on nanoporous titanium dioxide films successfully and employed as molecular sensitizers in DSSC with efficient photocurrent generation. The photovoltaic performance of DSSC s based on bacteriorhodopsin and bacterioruberin sensitizers was investigated. Under AM 1.5 irradiation a short‐circuit current of 0.45 mA cm −2 , open circuit voltages of 0.57 V, fill factor of 0.62, and an overall energy conversion efficiency of 0.16% are achieved by employing a mixture of biomolecules as a sensitizer.