Performance and Stability Evaluation of Low-Cost Inorganic Methyl Ammonium Lead Iodide (CH3NH3PbI3) Perovskite Solar Cells Enhanced with Natural Dyes from Cashew and Mango Leaves

The primary hindrance to widespread solar energy adoption has been the high initial cost of technology. Traditional silicon solar cells, while efficient, are costly. Perovskite solar cells face three key challenges: instability under various conditions, environmental toxicity from synthetic additives and solvents, and long-term reliability concerns. To address this, we are exploring perovskite solar cells (PSCs) for their potential cost-effectiveness by enhancing PSC performance and stability using natural dyes extracted from cashew and mango leaves, offering an eco-friendly solution to toxic additives. UV spectrophotometry was used to compare the optical properties of perovskite devices with and without plant dyes, and the results showed enhanced optical properties with plant dyes. The band gaps of the pristine device and those incorporating cashew dye and mango dye were measured at 1.59 eV, 1.70 eV, and 2.52 eV, respectively. The samples that were prepared were confirmed to be polycrystalline in nature through XRD analysis. The SEM analysis offered valuable insights into the morphological characteristics of the perovskite films before and after dye treatment, each sample exhibiting unique attributes. Also, EDX elemental analysis proved that the substrate contained CH3NH3PbI3. The perovskite solar cell with mango dye had a PCE of 0.0297% and an improved FF of 0.571, indicating the potential impact of cashew dye. After 1032 hours the optical properties of the samples were monitored under room temperature and conditions to assess their stability.