Characterization, stability, and feasibility of long-term use of light-absorbing components of aqueous spinach extract-based photogalvanic electrolyte

In the present work, the photogalvanic cells have been studied with respect to the photo-stability and the long-term use of the electrolyte based on crude aqueous spinach extract sensitizer for solar energy harvesting. Further, the nature of chemical components present in the old and photo-decayed electrolyte and their current generation capacity has also not been investigated so far otherwise it is of much significance for durable use of the same electrolyte in cells. In earlier studies, the steady-state photo-generation of current for about two hours from crude spinach extract-based cell has been shown during illumination. But, the data for only two hours of the steady-state current generation is not sufficient to show the feasibility of working with photogalvanic cells. Therefore, to fill this research gap of lack of characterization of sensitizers’ molecules of crude spinach extract and lack of study on long-term use of this electrolyte (crude spinach extract-surfactant-reductant-alkali-water), the present extensive study has been done. The observed spectrum of crude spinach extract resembles that of chlorophyll–protein complex showing it is the main chemical component in extract absorbing light. A strong acid adversely affects the extract’s photogalvanics and high pH is friendly to the physiological and photogalvanic activity of the extract. The spectra of illuminated and very old crude spinach extract-NaOH-Sodium lauryl sulfate (NaLS)-Fructose photogalvanic electrolyte solution show negligible absorbance (540–700 nm) and zero absorbance (at 700 nm) suggesting the absence of chlorophyll due to its photo-degradation. When this photo-degraded electrolyte is again illuminated, the power output obtained is nearly equal to that for the first time illuminated fresh electrolyte. The observed current at zero time and after 2641 h from the same electrolyte used in long term is 50 mA cm(−2) and 40 mA cm(−2), respectively. It means that the fresh crude spinach extract, as well as the photo-degraded extract at high pH, are almost equally capable of power generation.