Optical Materials 60 (2016) 411e417

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Optical Materials
journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/optmat

Development of dye-sensitized solar cells based on naturally extracted

dye from the maqui berry (Aristotelia chilensis)
Julio Leyrer Eng., Researcher a, *, Renato Hunter a, Monica Rubilar b, Boris Pavez c,
Eduardo Morales b, Simont Torres d
a
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Universidad de La Frontera, Av. Francisco Salazar 01145, 4811230 Temuco, Chile
b
Department of Chemical Engineering, Scientific and Technological Bioresource Nucleus, BIOREN, Universidad de La Frontera, Casilla 54-D, Chile
c
Department of Electrical Engineering, Universidad de La Frontera, Av. Francisco Salazar 01145, Temuco, Chile
d
Bioproducts Discovery and Development Centre, Department of Plant Agriculture, University of Guelph, Crop Science Building, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1,
Canada

a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t

Article history: The mini modules of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) were investigated for their conversion efficiency
Received 11 July 2016 using anthocyanin-enriched extracts from maqui berry, which to date has never been tested in a DSSC.
Received in revised form Anthocyanins are a group of red, purple, violet and blue water-soluble polyphenolic pigments widely
16 August 2016
found in berry fruits. Maqui berries are a particularly rich source. The aqueous extract concentrations of
Accepted 23 August 2016
maqui fruit were tested at 750 and 1500 mg of anthocyanin/L. The immersion time to produce sensitized
TiO2 film was 8 h. According to the experimental results, the conversion efficiency of the DSSC prepared
with 750 mg of anthocyanin/L was 0.14%, with an open-circuit voltage (VOC) of 0.43 V, a short-circuit
Keywords:
Anthocyanins
current density (JSC) of 0.38 mA/cm2, and a fill factor (FF) of 0.450. The conversion efficiency attained
DSSC with 1500 mg of anthocyanin/L was 0.19%, with (VOC) of 0.45 V, (JSC) of 0.44 mA/cm2 and FF of 0.55.
Maqui berry (Aristotelia chilensis) Therefore, a higher concentration brought about a higher photosensitized performance. The maqui ex-
Natural dye tracts were successfully dye sensitized over a layer of TiO2 nanoparticles, providing useful information
for further studies related to the use of natural pigments as sensitizers for solar cells.
© 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

1. Introduction
Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) are photovoltaic devices that
can convert solar energy into electrical energy [1]. DSSCs consist of
two electrodes (anode and cathode) made from transparent
conductive oxide (TCO), a porous nanoparticle layer of titanium
dioxide (TiO2) coated with a molecular dye which absorbs sunlight,
also called photosensitizer. The space between the electrodes is
filled with an electrolyte and a sealing layer to prevent electrolyte
from leaking out of the module. Furthermore, DSSCs contain a
platinum layer as a catalyst on the counter electrode. DSSCs have a
number of attractive features: their simplicity of manufacture as
well as the colorful and semi-transparent appearance offer a variety
of architectural uses, which can be applied to systems based on
glass or transparent polymers, and they have ability to absorb en-
ergy on both sides of the cell. Moreover, most of the materials used
* Corresponding author. Tel.: þ56 45 2325984.
E-mail address: j.leyrer01@ufromail.cl (J. Leyrer).
are low-cost [2]. In recent years, the efficiency of converting light to
electricity (h) has reached values around 10% with dyes based on
ruthenium (II) complex, as is the case of compounds N719 and C101
[2e4]. However, ruthenium is one of the critical components of the
DSSCs in terms of natural resources. It is a rare transition metal
belonging to the platinum group and it carries a high cost due to its
complex extraction and rarity [4,5]. Therefore, the search for new
photosensitizing materials becomes necessary to grow and develop
DSSC-based industries [6e10]. Several of the parameters that in-
fluence the behavior of the DSSCs have been studied, expanding the
alternatives and advantages for the solar cell market even further.
For example, Chauhan et al. investigated the applications and ad-
vantages of metallic oxide nanostructures used in the cells [11].
Other studies have presented electrolyte alternatives for DSSCs
with biosources, as in the case of studies by Bella et al., who tested a
cellulose-based gel polymer [12] and a biopolymer from seaweed
[13]. A nanocellulose-based polymer was used in the DSSCs, the
results of which showed an increase in the photocurrent and
photovoltage of the cells, which was studied by Chiappone et al.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.optmat.2016.08.021
0925-3467/© 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
412 J. Leyrer et al. / Optical Materials 60 (2016) 411e417
[14]. Salvador et al. also suggests the need for a new method of
measurement for the DSSCs because these can absorb energy on
both sides of their configuration [15].
The naturally occurring pigments or dyes present in different
types of roots, leaves, fruits and berries represent a viable alter-
native that does no damage to the environment and can be used in
DSSCs. These biological pigments can be obtained naturally, by
simple, low-cost processes as presented in the studies by Bella
et al., Akila et al., Maurya et al. and Thankappan et al. [16e19].
Furthermore, they have the property of high energy absorption in
the visible light region (between 300 nm and 700 nm). Anthocya-
nins are one of the most used natural pigments in DSSCs These are
pigments or dyes that provide the natural color in flowers, tubers,
roots, fruits and leaves of different plants. This dye is responsible for
several colors in the purple and red range [20]. Compared to
ruthenium-based dyes, anthocyanin has no metal components; it is
non-toxic and cheap to acquire. This pigment has the ability to
adhere to the TiO2 nanoparticles on the TCO glass [21]. To date,
several investigations have focused on the use of DSSCs based on
anthocyanin pigments such as mulberry, calafate, jaboticaba, blue
pea flowers, red cabbage [22e29]. Anthocyanins are an alternative
for DSSC development despite the efficiency conversions reached
by these studies being low compared to the ruthenium-based
synthetic pigments. Therefore, new raw materials must be sought
and their performance on the cells must be optimized.
Maqui is a native berry of southern Chile. It has a small, edible,
astringent, purple/black fruit well known as an exceptionally rich
source of anthocyanins and natural antioxidants. Maqui berry,
useful as a natural dye due to the presence of anthocyanin pig-
ments, has not as yet been tested in a DSSC.
This study evaluated the efficiency of DSSCs containing maqui
dye. For this purpose, different combinations of solar cells factors
were assayed. Then, different concentrations of anthocyanin-
enriched aqueous extracts from maqui berry were used in cells
and their efficiency was tested under standard solar conditions (AM
1.5) and 100 mW/cm2. In this work, the manufacturing conditions
of DSSCs, the characteristics of maqui extracts and their perfor-
mance as well as their efficiency as photosensitizers are presented
and discussed.
2. Experiment
2.1. Materials
Maqui berries (Aristotelia chilensis) were collected from the
Pitrufque
n valley in the Araucanía Region (Chile). The maqui ex-
tracts were used as a photosensitizer in the DSSCs. The TiO2 product
with average particle size of 15e20 nm (Ti-Nanoxide D) was used.
For the TCO glass three (3) different resistivities and thicknesses
were used: thickness 2.2 mm with resistivity 7 U/square, thickness
2.2 mm with resistivity 15 U/square and thickness 3 mm with re-
sistivity 8 U/square. The catalysts tested were based on platinum
(Plastisol T) and carbon (Elcolcarb). The two electrodes were joined
with sealing material (Meltonix 1170-60/60 mm thick), Amosil 4
adhesive, and the space between the electrodes was filled with
liquid electrolyte (Iodolyte AN-50 and Iodolyte Z-50). All chemicals
and materials used throughout this study were purchased from
SOLARONIX S.A. Aubonne, Switzerland. Fig. 1 shows the structure of
the DSSC used in this study.
2.2. Preparation of natural dye sensitizers
The maqui berries were dried in a tray dryer at laboratory scale
with hot air at 45  C, ground in a coffee grinder, and sieved. Then
0.5 g of the dried fruits were macerated with 5 mL of distilled water
[30]. Solid residues of the extract were filtered through Whatman
N 1 filter paper (Whatman International Ltd. Maidstone, UK). The
extracts were protected from light exposure and stored in a
refrigerator at þ5  C until they were used as sensitizers in DSSCs.
For this study two concentrations of anthocyanin-enriched extract
were assayed: 750 and 1500 mg anthocyanin/L.
2.3. HPLC-MS chromatography
HPLC analysis was performed on Agilent 1100 equipment (Agi-
lent Technologies, Santa Clara, CA, USA). Maqui extracts (20 mL)
were injected into an Inertsil ODS-3250  4.6 mm 5 mm 100 Å (GL
Sciences Inc., USA). The mobile phase consisted of phase A: water/
acetonitrile/formic acid 87:3:10% v/v/v, and phase B: water/aceto-
nitrile/formic acid 40:50:10% v/v/v). The gradient of the mobile
phase B was from 6% to 30% in 15 min, from 30% to 50% in 15 min,
from 50% to 60% in 5 min and 10 min stabilization at 6%. Detection
was carried out using 520 nm excitation. The flow rate was set to
0.8 mL/min. For HPLC/MS analyses, the HPLC apparatus was inter-
faced with an ESI-IT Esquire 4000 (Bruker Daltonics, Billerica, MA,
USA) mass spectrometer equipped with an ionization electrospray
chamber. Conditions for the mass spectral analysis in the positive
ion mode included a voltage of 4000 V, a nebulizing pressure of 35
psi, a drying nitrogen flow of 9.0 mL/min and a temperature of
325  C [31]. Data were collected in full scan mode over a mass range
of m/z 20e2200.
2.4. Solar-cell assembly methodology
2.4.1. Determination assembly methodology
To ascertain the impact of the independent variables on solar
cell efficiency, the DSSCs were built by modifying one factor and
keeping the others constant. Different combinations of
manufacturing factors such as soaking time of the dye on the TiO2
layer (4, 6 and 8 h), type of TCO glass (ITO and FTO), type of catalyst
(AN-50 and Z-50), type of electrolyte (Elcolcarb and Plastisol T) and
resistivity of the TCO glass (7, 8 and 15 U) were tested.
At this stage ruthenium 535, known as N3 in the literature, was
used as the dye. Each cell was measured according to the solar
radiation simulated by means of a 530 nm LED (due to the ab-
sorption spectrum of ruthenium) generated by the LED Driver Kit
(Metrohm Autolab B.V., Utrecht, Netherlands). The collected data
were processed using the NOVA software (Metrohm Autolab B.V.,
Utrecht, Netherlands). An analysis of variance was performed with
the R Statistical software (The R Foundation for Statistical
Computing, New Jersey, USA) by identifying the influence of each
factor on the cell performance. The cells were built and tested with
the maqui extracts using the “bigger is better” criterion, i.e., the
higher the FF value the better the result [32].
Finally, the assembly methodology was defined according to the
best performance of dye-sensitized solar cells to ensure correct
testing and allow them to be influenced only by the dye. There are
similar studies in the literature that use mathematical methods to
identify the interrelation between the different variables and thus
improve the performance of the DSSCs [33e35].
2.4.2. Selected cell assembly
The other final cell selected was assembled with fluorine-doped
tin oxide (FTO) glass plate (8 U/sq and thickness 2.2 mm), and was
used as the current collector. The FTO plates were first cleaned
using water and ethanol, then the glass was cut into 2.5  2.5 cm2
square pieces. The cut substrates were washed and cleaned with
water and ethanol to remove any residual glass powder or organic
contaminants. Scotch tape was used as a spacer to control the film
thickness and to provide non-coated areas for electrical contact. A
 J. Leyrer et al. / Optical Materials 60 (2016) 411e417
thin film of the TiO2 paste (Ti-nanoxide D) was coated using the
doctor blade technique on the TCO plate; this technique is also
known as slot-coating in its mechanized version. Normally, the
photovoltaic performance of DSSCs is closely related to the surface
characteristics of the TiO2 semiconductor nanoparticles. The par-
ticle size and surface potential of the oxide nanoparticles control
the amount of dye adsorbed on the photoanode, which determines
the total number of photogenerated carriers and thus the photo-
voltaic efficiency of the DSSCs. The films were ~25 mm thick, and the
active area of the TiO2 electrodes used was 2.25 cm2. The TiO2
coated plates were gradually heated up to 400  C. Then the tem-
perature was increased to 450  C for 15 min. The plates were sin-
tered at this temperature for 30 min. While heating, evaporation
and combustion of non-toxic chemicals used in the paste formu-
lation occurs.
The TiO2 film electrodes were cooled to 20  C, and then
immersed in a maqui extract (dye) for 8 h. Once the dye adsorption
was complete, the film was cleaned with pure ethanol and dried
with hot air. The counter electrode was prepared using platinum or
carbon paste (Platisol T). The paste was coated on the FTO glass
plate using the doctor blade technique and heated to 450  C for
30 min. Assembly of the solar cell was done first by placing a sealing
material (Meltonix 1170-60 with 60 mm thickness) as a spacer layer
and sealing element between the two electrodes. The sealing ma-
terial had two ditches cut for the liquid electrolyte filling (Iodolyte
AN-50). The cathode was then placed on top so its conductive side
faced the stained TiO2 film of the anode. The two electrodes were
held together by binding clips and then heated to 120  C for a few
seconds to join the two electrodes. The space between them was
filled with liquid electrolyte by capillary action. Afterward, the two
ditches were sealed by adhesive (Amosil 4) and dried with hot air.
Finally, any excess electrolyte was removed from the edge of the
solar cell with a tissue paper with acetone. The assembled solar
cells were kept in the dark before measurement. Fig. 2 shows the
filling of the DSSC with liquid electrolyte by capillary action.
2.5. Characterization and measurement
The open-circuit voltage (VOC) and short-circuit current den-
sities (JSC), given by the JeV curve, were used to calculate light-to-
electricity conversion efficiency (h). All data were processed using
NOVA software under simulated solar conditions with a Xenon
lamp model LSZ163 of 150 W (LOT, Darmstadt, Germany), which
emits light by exciting the internal gas in the bulb. Assays were
performed at 100 mW/cm2 and AM 1.5. The efficiency of the solar
cell was calculated with the formula:
Jsc x Voc x FF
h¼
Pin
where Pin is the power of incident light per unit area, and the fill
factor (FF) was given by:
Jmax x Vmax
FF ¼
Jsc x Voc
where Vmax and Jmax were the maximum voltage and photocurrent
measured while the cell was working [36].
3. Results and discussion
3.1. Test cell analysis
Table 1 shows the summary factors evaluated and average FF for
different control levels.
413
Fig. 1. Diagram of components and performance of dye-sensitized solar cell.
Table 2 shows the summary of ANOVA results obtained with the
test cells and R software. The p value indicates the significance of
the independent variables on the dependent FF.
For the factors with a high significance on the response (type of
electrolyte and soaking time), control levels were chosen that
presented the highest value of FF (Table 1) according to the crite-
rion of “bigger is better”. However, for the factors with a low level of
significance, the selection criteria were based on cost, ease of as-
sembly and durability of the materials. Therefore, the cell where the
maqui extracts were assayed was as follows: 8 h of dye impreg-
nation on the titanium dioxide layer, FTO glass, AN-50 Iodolyte as
the electrolyte, Plastisol T as the catalyst and TCO FTO glass 2.2 mm
thick with 8 U of resistivity. This cell ensured the best yield from the
solar cell and that the efficiency assays would be influenced only by
the maqui extract.
3.2. UVeVis absorption spectra and HPLC chromatograms of
Aristotelia chilensis extract
The higher the concentration of anthocyanins in the extracts,
the higher the absorption capacity and UVeVis absorption spec-
trum of the dye. The anthocyanin concentration for the extract at
pH 1 was (1.07 ± 0.02 mg of cyanidin-3 glucoside/gms). The UVeVis
absorption spectrum for the maqui berry extract is shown in Fig. 4.
It reveals the absorption between 450 and 600 nm with a
maximum absorbance (l max) at 520 nm, similar absorbance
values were published for delphinidin 3,5-diglucoside and delphi-
nidin 3-sambubioside, anthocyanins detected in maqui extracts
[37]. The absorptivity in the visible light region of the anthocyanins
(1)
makes them good candidates for use in dye cells. According to the
chemical structure and nature of the extract, anthocyanins have
different coloration and absorption in the visible light region, for
example for ethanol extracts of xanthina rose, or black rice the
extracts had the same absorption peak of 560 nm [25]. Another
investigation by Sarto et al. determined that calafate syrup has an
(2)
absorption peak of 533 nm in aqueous solution [27]. The maximum
absorption values for the anthocyanin extract are very similar to
maximum peak absorption of the ruthenium N719 and C101
complexes, which have a peak at 536 nm and 534 nm, respectively
[20] and [39]. Fig. 3 shows the structure of one of the anthocyanins
present in the maqui extract; note that it has 3 hydroxyls that can
interact with TiO2 [37]. Afterward, the maqui extract was adsorbed
on TiO2 surface with two different concentrations of 700 and
1500 mg of anthocyanins/L.
Fig. 4a and b shows the spectral characteristic of maqui extract.
The anthocyanin contents for Aristotelia chilensis extract were
414 J. Leyrer et al. / Optical Materials 60 (2016) 411e417

studied by HPLC-MS chromatography. Table 3 presents assign-

ments of peak in HPLC-MS and Fig. 5 shows the HPLC chromato-
grams of Aristotelia chilensis extract. The anthocyanins in the
Aristotelia chilensis extract were identified in the mass spectra by
the molecular ions, and the fragment peaks correspond to the
aglycones [31,40,41].
The HPLC showed six peaks, but seven anthocyanins were
identified by HPLCeMS. In the chromatograms of Maqui extract
(Fig. 5), the presence of delphinidin-3-sambubioside-5-glucoside
(m/z 759) was easily recognized, with a molecular ion at m/z 597
and a fragment at m/z 465 and 303; the HPLC result is similar to the
one reported by Escribano-Bailon et al. [37].

3.3. Photoelectrical characterization

In order to evaluate the natural dyes extracted from maqui as a

photosensitizer for DSSC application, two concentrations (700 and
1500 mg anthocyanin/L) were used as the sensitizer on the TiO2
layer. The effective light exposure area of the DSSCs was maintained
at 2.25 cm2 and the device performances were obtained under AM Fig. 2. Filling of the DSSC with liquid electrolyte.

1.5 solar illumination with a light intensity of 100 mW/cm2 and

25  C. The electrical parameters such as Voc, Jsc, maximum power
point (Mpp), FF and overall conversion efficiency (h) for the maqui Table 1
berry extracts for the two concentrations are summarized in Summary of the factors evaluated, control levels and FF values.

Table 4. It also shows electrical parameters observed under similar Factors Level FF [%]
experimental conditions of a device assembled using standard N3 Soaking time 4h 58.59
dye as the photosensitizer. 6h 65.82
Table 4 shows that the conversion efficiencies of the DSSCs 8h 73.34
assembled using anthocyanins extracted from maqui at two Type of TCO glass FTO 66.58
ITO 53.75
different concentrations of 750 and 1500 mg of anthocyanin/L were
Type of catalyst Plastisol T 66.50
0.14% and 0.19%, respectively. The Voc were 0.4310 V and 0.4447 V, Elcolcarb 62.20
the short circuit Jsc were 0.3753 mA/cm2 and 0.4415 mA/cm2, the Type of electrolyte An-50 61.54
Mpp was 0.1733 mW and 0.2343 mW and the FF was 0.4991 and Z-50 37.31
Resistivity of TCO glass 7U 51.96
0.5457, respectively. Here, the efficiency, Jsc, Mpp and FF of the
8U 65.82
maqui extract with 1500 mg anthocyanin/L increased compared to 15 U 62.44
the extract with 750 mg of anthocyanin/L; the Voc were similar for
both concentrations. The conversion efficiency of the DSSC
assembled with the ruthenium N3 solution reached 6.4%.
The generation of a short circuit current from the assembled cell Table 2
depends mainly on the amount of dye adsorbed on the TiO2 surface, Summary results of ANOVA with software R.

structure, light harvesting efficiency and electron injection ability Factors Average p value of FF Significance on the FF
of the dye. More adsorption of dye molecules on the TiO2 surface Type of TCO glass 0.5796 Medium
generates a greater number of photons from sunlight, which leads Type of catalyst 0.8072 Low
to a rapid electron injection. The Voc and Jsc are the important Type of electrolyte 0.0004861 High
parameters that decide the conversion efficiency of the cell. The TCO of glass resistance 0.2946 Medium
Soaking time 3.574e-05 Very high
Voc is the difference between the Fermi level of TiO2 electrode and
the potential of redox electrolyte which mainly depends on the
recombination rate and adsorption mode of the sensitizer [42].
The currentevoltage (JeV) curve and power curve characteris-
ligands and pH. Several different structures of surface complexes
tics of maqui extracts as the photosensitizer on the TiO2 nano-
are described, such as monodentate, bidentate (chelating) and
particle layer for DSSCs under AM 1.5 illumination and light
bidentate (bridging).
intensity of 100 mW/cm2 are shown in Fig. 6. The J-V curve and the
Two concentrations were used: 750 mg/L and 1500 mg/L at
power curve for DSSCs with maqui extract at 750 mg/L and
constant pH of 1. All electrical parameters in general increased as
1500 mg/L are shown in Fig. 6 (a). The J-V curve and the power
the anthocyanin concentration increased, but the trend was more
curve for DSSCs with maqui extract at 750 mg/L and 1500 mg/L are
pronounced in the parameters Jsc, Mpp and h. The best perfor-
shown in Fig. 6 (b).
mance was reached at 1500 mg/L. As the anthocyanin concentra-
tion increased, so did the number of bound dye molecules and the
3.4. Effects of anthocyanin concentration
photocurrent. In the meantime, the bound anthocyanins increased
their surface coverage of TiO2 nanoparticles, which helped insulate
Anthocyanin extract possesses a good ability to bind TiO2 [43]. It
the TiO2 from the electrolyte, reducing the dark current and raising
has been shown that the stability of the surface complexes of ti-
Voc. A twofold increase in anthocyanin concentration from 750 mg/
tanium nanoparticles (IV) with organic ligands are determined by
L to 1500 mg/L improved the efficiency by 0.05%. The saturation of
various factors, including the type of TiO2 crystal plane, accessibility
the binding sites was able to force anthocyanins to bind to the sites
of titanium ions, nanoparticle size, the type of ligating sites of
 J. Leyrer et al. / Optical Materials 60 (2016) 411e417 415

Fig. 3. Structure of the delphinidin-3-sambubioside-5-glucoside in Maqui extract (a) and proposal for interaction between maqui anthocyanins and TiO2 (b).

Fig. 4. UVeVIS absorption spectrum range 200e800 nm (a) and VIS absorption spectrum 350e700 nm (b) maqui extract measured at concentration of 1.07 ± 0.02 mg Cyanidin-3
glucoside/gms and pH 1.

Table 3
Anthocyanins identified by HPLC-MS in Aristotelia chilensis (Maqui) extract.

Peak Retention time (t) Molecular ion (Mþ)m/z Molecular ion (MS2) (m/z) Anthocyanins

1 6.80 759 597,465,303 delphinidin-3-sambubioside-5-glucoside

2 7.05 627 465,303 delphinidin-3,5-diglucoside
3 8.50 743 581,449,287 cyanidin-3-sambubioside-5-glucoside
3 9.44 611 449,287 cyanidin-3,5-diglucoside
4 10.63 597 303 delphinidin-3 sambubioside
5 10.32 465 303 delphinidin-3-glucoside
6 11.90 581 287 cyanidin-3-sambubioside

with lower affinity. The resulting chemical bonds are less stable and
contribute less to the efficiency of solar cells [36].
4. Conclusions
The anthocyanins in maqui have a high affinity with TiO2
nanoparticles in a relatively short time. They also perform better
with a higher anthocyanin concentration. It was observed that
when the concentration was increased, the photocurrent with the
capacity to generate energy from incident light also increased. The
conversion efficiency reached for the extract with 750 mg/L and
1500 mg/L anthocyanin was 0.14% and 0.19%, respectively, under
100 mW/cm2 standard AM 1.5 solar conditions and 25  C. The
extract with 1500 mg/L anthocyanin had the highest photo-
sensitized performance. The better charge transfer between the
maqui dye molecule and the TiO2 surface is related to the con-
centration. The natural dye extracted from maqui was successfully
used as dye sensitized over a layer of TiO2 nanoparticles synthe-
sized with conventional methods, since data similar to that re-
ported in the literature were obtained. These efficiencies were
416 J. Leyrer et al. / Optical Materials 60 (2016) 411e417

Fig. 5. HPLC-MS chromatogram of Aristotelia chilensis (Maqui) recorded at 520 nm.

Table 4
Photoelectrical parameters of the DSSCs assembled using natural dyes extracted from maqui berries. Concentrations of 750 mg/L and 1500 mg/L and standard ruthenium
complex N3 dye evaluated under equal experimental conditions (AM 1.5, 25  C and 100 mW/cm2).

Concentration (mg/L) Voc (V) Jsc (mA/cm2) Mpp (mW) FF h (%)

Maqui 1 750 0.4310 0.3753 0.1733 0.4991 0.1407
Maqui 2 1500 0.4447 0.4415 0.2343 0.5457 0.1902
Ru N3 200 0.7060 7.7595 3.0200 0.5200 6.4060

Fig. 6. (a) J-V curve for DSSC with maqui extract to 750 mg/L and 1500 mg/L. (b) Power curve for DSSC with maqui extract at 750 mg/L and 1500 mg/L. All the results were obtained
under experimental conditions of AM 1.5 and light intensity of 100 mW/cm2.

reached with concentrations that are not yet optimal; therefore, in encourage further research into the use of new natural dye sensi-
future investigations the efficiency of DSSCs with anthocyanins tizers such as maqui berry to increase the efficiency and stability of
from maqui will be improved. Finally, the results of this study DSSCs for the market.
 J. Leyrer et al. / Optical Materials 60 (2016) 411e417
Acknowledgment
The authors acknowledge the funding of this work by the Cor-

n de Fomento de la Produccio
poracio
n (CORFO, Chile) Project
N 13DL2-18596.
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