Abstract

Solar energy conversion and storage by use of photogalvanic cell was studied in Tween 60 – amido black – ascorbic acid system. Photogalvanic effect was studied in photogalvanic cell consisting of ascorbic acid as a reductant, Amido black 10B as photosensitizer and Tween 60 as surfactant in aqueous solution. The photopotential and photocurrent generated were 996.0 mV and 420 µA respectively. The observed power of the cell was 84.68 µW at its power point. The conversion efficiency and fill factor was determined as 1.62 and 0.38% respectively. The cell performance was 130 min. in dark. A mechanism for the photogeneration of electricity has also been proposed. The effect of different parameters (pH, diffusion length, electrode area, light intensity) on the electrical output of the cell were also been observed.

Key words: Photopotential, photocurrent, conversion efficiency, amido black 10B, Tween 60, ascorbic acid.