Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) comprising mesoporous TiO 2 films and betalain pigments extracted from red Bougainvillea glabra flower as natural dye sensitizers were fabricated and enhanced by the intercalation of the plasmonic silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) into the pores of mesoporous TiO 2 electrodes by successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) method. The TiO 2 / Ag NPs composite films were characterized by SEM and UV-Vis spectroscopy. I-V characteristics of the devices were measured by solar simulator (AM1.5 at 100 mW/ cm 2 ). The incorporation of the Ag nanoparticles into the pores of mesoporous TiO 2 electrodes with one SILAR deposition cycle of the Ag NPs produced the best plasmonic enhanced-DSSC giving a short-circuit current density (J sc ), fill factor (FF), and power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 1.01 mA cm -2 , 0.77, and 0.27 %, respectively. This development amounts to 50 % efficiency enhancement over the reference DSSC that had a short-circuit current density (J sc ), fill factor (FF), and power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 0.7 mA cm -2 , 0.57, and 0.18 %, respectively.
This work was carried out in collaboration between all authors. Author KUI conceptualized and designed the research, he also conducted the morphological and structural analysis of the samples, author AMR carried out the samples preparation, wrote the initial draft and searched for relevant literatures. Author BJJ was involved in the analysis of the optical properties of the samples and the management and use of the relevant literatures for analysis. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
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