Effect of Silver Nanoparticles Prepared by Green Chemistry on the Photovoltaic Properties of Zinc Phthalocyanine

Abstract

The use of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) produced from sustainable resources to improve photovoltaic properties of dye-sensitized solar cells is gaining interest due to the growing demand for clean and green energy sources. In this study, leaf (HY) and flower (HC) extracts of Golden Grass (Helichrysum italicum) were used to produce AgNPs with a low cost and easy method. The enhancement in power conversion efficiency by adding AgNPs phthalocyanine produced from biomaterials was investigated. The formation of AgNPs is indicated by a strong surface plasmon resonance (SPR) at 441 nm for HY-AgNPs and 448 nm for HC-AgNPs. Spherical AgNPs were formed with an estimated diameter of 22.59 +/- 0.71 nm for HY-AgNPs and 21.06 +/- 0.95 nm for HC-AgNs, both with a face center cubic crystal structure. On the other hand, the zinc phthalocyanine complex designed for dye-sensitized solar cells was synthesized and characterized. At the same time, the aggregation and fluorescence properties of zinc phthalocyanine were investigated. The photovoltaic properties of the phthalocyanine compound used in the study were examined without and with silver nanoparticle additives. With this doping, the power conversion efficiency percentage increased from 2.32 to 3.41 for HY-AgNPs and from 2.32 to 2.92 for HC-AgNPs. Evaluation of the results reveals that the phthalocyanine compound gains more efficient photovoltaic properties with the doping of AgNPs for dye-sensitized solar cells.