ISSN print edition: 0366-6352 ISSN electronic edition: 1336-9075 Registr. No.: MK SR 9/7 Published monthly

Application of nitrogen- doped carbon quantum dots (N-CQD) and organic dye extracted from red onion peel in the fabrication of dye sensitised solar cells (DSSCS)

Blessing Odia Ogo, Omamoke O. E. Enaroseha, Aziakpono Blessing Umukoro, and Lawrence Oghenerivwe Anho

Department of Physics, Delta State College of Education, Mosogar, Nigeria

E-mail: enarosehaomamoke@gmail.com

Received: 20 September 2025  Accepted: 5 January 2026

Abstract:

The demand for energy is increasing on daily basis, so the research into the provision of energy sources has to improve adequately to meet this challenges. The use of organic dyes for the fabrication of Dye Sensitized Solar Cells (DSSC_S) by scientists is increasing rapidly due to their high environmental friendly importance. The reports of efficiencies of Solar Cells fabricated with onion peels, are very low due to some drawback in the methodology, hence the research seek better alternative ways to fabricate high efficient Solar Cells with environmental friendly materials using the Doctor blade technique to fabricate monolithic Dye Sensitized Solar Cells.The measurement of the cells under one sun illumination (Am1.5) shows that solar cell fabricated with N-CQD has short circuit density (Jsc) of 0.21 mA/cm² and cell efficiency of 4.17%. The cell fabricated with onion peel dye, has short circuit density of 0.16 mA/cm² and cell efficiency of 0.43%. 0.17 mA/cm² and 1.58% were the values for short circuit density and cell efficiency for cells fabricated with the combination of the two sensitizers respectively.

Keywords: Dye sensitized solar cell (DSSCs); Fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO); Mesoporous TiO2; ZrO2 paste; Nitrogen-doped carbon quantum dots (N-CQD); Photoelectric conversion efficiency

Full paper is available at www.springerlink.com.

DOI: 10.1007/s11696-026-04655-2

Chemical Papers 80 (4) 3859–3866 (2026)