VATIS UPDATE Article

Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Roorkee, have found that a pigment found in jamun (Syzygium cumini) absorbs large amounts of sunlight. In brief, researchers used naturally occurring pigment as an inexpensive photosensitiser. In their paper, the authors Nipun Sawhney, Anubhav Raghav and Soumitra Satapathii wrote, “Dye sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) were fabricated with four naturally occurring anthocyanin dyes extracted from naturally found fruits/juices.”

The team turned to jamun, plum, black currant, and berries as sensitizers. Anthocyanins are naturally occurring biodegradable and nontoxic molecules that are extracted using techniques that involve negligible low cost to the environment and therefore can provide ecofriendly alternatives to synthetic dyes for DSSC production. Acidified ethanol was used for the extraction of anthocyanin. The highest power conversion efficiencies were achieved for the DSSCs fabricated using anthocyanin extracts of blackcurrant and mixed berry juice.

According to the research, “Uncertainty over the pace at which new large dams or nuclear plants can be built means strong reliance on solar power – an area where India has high potential and equally high ambition – to deliver on the country’s pledge to build up a 40 per cent share of non-fossil fuel capacity in the power sector by 2030.” In brief, solar power is viewed as an important alternative in a goal to reduce dependence on fossil fuels.