Publication date: 30 September 2026
Source: Advanced Engineering Forum Vol. 60
Author(s): Najmudin Fauji, Fitri Yuliasari, Meka Saima Perdani, Hilman Imadul Umam, Rahmat Hidayat
We have studied the potential applications of anthocyanin pigments and chlorophyll pigments extracted from natural sources, such as butterfly pea flowers (Clitoria ternatea) and water spinach (Ipomoea aquatica). This work confirms the viability of anthocyanin- and chlorophyll-based natural dyes extracted from butterfly pea flower and water spinach as sensitizers in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Photovoltaic measurements showed that the butterfly pea-based DSSC achieved higher short-circuit current density and overall efficiency (η = 0.184%) compared to the water spinach-based device (η = 0.116%). Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) revealed distinct interfacial charge-transfer behaviors, indicating that device efficiency is governed by a balance between light-harvesting efficiency and interfacial charge-transfer kinetics. This results highlight the fundamental potential of plant-derived pigments as sustainable and low-cost photoactive materials. These findings highlight the potential of naturally derived chromophores as sustainable sensitizers, while emphasizing the need for further optimization to improve their competitiveness in practical DSSC applications.
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