Doum palm oasis with solar panels, symbolizing renewable energy.

Unlock Solar Power with Natural Dyes: The Doum Palm Revolution

Lena Kashyap in Climate & Environment August 2025 • 5 min read.

"Discover how extracts from the Hyphaene thebaica palm fruit can revolutionize dye-sensitized solar cells, offering a sustainable path to renewable energy"

In the 21st century, energy technology is not just a convenience but a necessity, driving our daily lives and consumption habits. As environmental pollution becomes an increasingly urgent global concern, the quest to enhance natural energy use and recycle resources has emerged as a critical research area for developed and developing countries alike. The challenge lies in finding sustainable, efficient, and cost-effective ways to harness the power of nature without harming the environment.

Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) have garnered significant attention as a promising next-generation solar technology, offering a simple structure and low manufacturing costs. A typical DSSC comprises a nanocrystalline titanium dioxide (TiO₂) electrode, a dye, a platinum (Pt) counter electrode, and an electrolyte solution containing an iodine/triiodide ion redox couple. The dye's role is pivotal; it absorbs sunlight and injects electrons into the TiO₂ layer, initiating the flow of electricity.

While impressive strides have been made—with certified conversion efficiencies reaching 10.4% using black dyes—there's still vast potential for improvement. Organic dyes, known for their high absorption efficiency, present an exciting avenue, with some DSSCs reporting efficiencies of up to 9%. These dyes can lead to thinner nanostructure metal oxide films, enhancing charge transport and enabling the use of innovative materials like ionic liquids and solid electrolytes.

Harnessing Nature's Palette: Doum Palm as a Sustainable Dye Source

Doum palm oasis with solar panels, symbolizing renewable energy.

Nature offers a rich palette of fruits, flowers, and leaves, each containing pigments that can be easily extracted and employed in DSSCs. Chlorophyll, abundant in green plants, has been extensively studied, while anthocyanins, responsible for the vibrant colors of many fruits and flowers, also hold promise. Now, researchers are exploring the potential of the doum palm (Hyphaene thebaica), a desert palm native to the Nile Valley and northern Nigeria, as a natural dye source for DSSCs.

A study led by Mohammed IK and colleagues investigated the effectiveness of using doum palm pericarp extracts as dye-sensitizers in DSSCs. The researchers extracted dyes using both ethanol and water, then deposited titanium dioxide (TiO₂) onto fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) glass to create a thin film. This film was sintered at 400°C to enhance its compactness. The resulting DSSCs were then tested for their photovoltaic performance.

The study revealed key findings:

Open circuit voltage (Voc): 0.37 V (ethanol extract) and 0.50 V (water extract)
Short circuit current density (Jsc): 0.005 mA/cm² (ethanol extract) and 0.010 mA/cm² (water extract)
Fill factor (FF): 0.63 (ethanol extract) and 0.66 (water extract)
Conversion efficiency: 0.012% (ethanol extract) and 0.033% (water extract) under 1000 m/Wm² light intensity

These results highlight the potential of doum palm extracts as a natural dye source for DSSCs, with water extracts exhibiting better performance than ethanol extracts in this particular study. The researchers suggest that the lower performance of the cells could be due to the dye itself, as well as the ability of electron transportation to the conduction surface of the TiO₂.

The Road Ahead: Doum Palm and the Future of Solar Technology

While the conversion efficiencies achieved in this study are relatively low compared to other DSSCs, the research opens promising avenues for further exploration. By optimizing the extraction methods, dye composition, and cell structure, it may be possible to significantly enhance the performance of doum palm-based DSSCs. Further research could explore the synergistic effects of combining doum palm extracts with other natural dyes or synthetic materials to create more efficient and cost-effective solar cells. The doum palm, with its abundance in certain regions and its potential as a renewable resource, represents a compelling opportunity to advance sustainable energy solutions and empower communities worldwide.

About this Article -

This article was crafted using a human-AI hybrid and collaborative approach. AI assisted our team with initial drafting, research insights, identifying key questions, and image generation. Our human editors guided topic selection, defined the angle, structured the content, ensured factual accuracy and relevance, refined the tone, and conducted thorough editing to deliver helpful, high-quality information.See our About page for more information.

This article is based on research published under:

DOI-LINK: 10.4172/2169-0022.1000208, Alternate LINK

Title: The Effect On Extracting Solvents Using Natural Dye Extracts From Hyphaene Thebaica For Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

Subject: General Earth and Planetary Sciences

Journal: Journal of Material Science & Engineering

Publisher: OMICS Publishing Group

Authors: Mohammed Ik, Kasim Uthman Isah

Published: 2015-01-01

Everything You Need To Know

How do dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) function, and what roles do components like titanium dioxide and platinum play?

Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) operate using a clever mechanism where a dye, like extracts from the Hyphaene thebaica (doum palm), absorbs sunlight. This absorbed light excites electrons in the dye, which are then injected into a nanocrystalline titanium dioxide (TiO₂) electrode. From there, the electrons flow through an external circuit, generating electricity. A platinum (Pt) counter electrode and an electrolyte solution, typically containing an iodine/triiodide ion redox couple, help to regenerate the dye, allowing the cycle to continue. The efficiency of DSSCs depends on factors like the dye's ability to absorb light and the effectiveness of electron transport within the cell.

In the doum palm (Hyphaene thebaica) research, how were the dye extracts prepared and used to create the solar cells?

The study used extracts from the pericarp of the doum palm (Hyphaene thebaica) fruit as the dye in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Researchers extracted these dyes using both ethanol and water. They then deposited titanium dioxide (TiO₂) onto fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) glass to create a thin film, which was sintered at 400°C to improve its compactness. This film, now sensitized with the doum palm dye, was used to construct DSSCs, which were subsequently tested for their photovoltaic performance, evaluating parameters like open-circuit voltage (Voc), short-circuit current density (Jsc), fill factor (FF), and conversion efficiency.

What were the key findings of the study regarding the performance of doum palm (Hyphaene thebaica) extracts in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs)?

The study found that dye extracts from the doum palm (Hyphaene thebaica) could indeed be used as dye-sensitizers in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs), although with relatively low conversion efficiencies. Specifically, the water extract showed better performance than the ethanol extract. The open-circuit voltage (Voc) was 0.37 V for the ethanol extract and 0.50 V for the water extract. The short-circuit current density (Jsc) was 0.005 mA/cm² for the ethanol extract and 0.010 mA/cm² for the water extract. The fill factor (FF) was 0.63 for the ethanol extract and 0.66 for the water extract. The overall conversion efficiency was 0.012% for the ethanol extract and 0.033% for the water extract under 1000 m/Wm² light intensity. While these efficiencies are modest, they highlight the potential for using doum palm extracts in solar technology with further optimization.

What factors might explain the relatively low conversion efficiencies achieved with doum palm (Hyphaene thebaica) extracts in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs)?

The low conversion efficiencies observed with doum palm (Hyphaene thebaica) extracts in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) could stem from several factors. The dye's inherent light absorption properties and its ability to effectively inject electrons into the titanium dioxide (TiO₂) layer are crucial. Additionally, the efficiency of electron transport to the conduction surface of the TiO₂ plays a significant role. Impurities within the dye extract, the cell structure, or the extraction method could also limit performance. Further research is needed to optimize these aspects and potentially combine doum palm extracts with other materials to enhance overall efficiency. Other aspects not covered are the long term stability of the dye and the effect of different Titanium Dioxide nanostructures to the cell performace.

What are some potential areas for future research to improve the performance of doum palm (Hyphaene thebaica) based dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs)?

Further research on doum palm (Hyphaene thebaica) based dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) could explore several avenues. Optimizing the dye extraction methods to improve purity and yield, modifying the dye composition to enhance light absorption, and refining the cell structure to facilitate better electron transport are all critical. Combining doum palm extracts with other natural or synthetic dyes to create synergistic effects could also boost performance. Investigating different nanostructures of titanium dioxide (TiO₂) and exploring alternative electrolytes could further enhance the efficiency and stability of these solar cells. These advancements could help unlock the full potential of doum palm as a sustainable and cost-effective resource for renewable energy, especially in regions where it is abundant.