Building Solar Cells from Scratch: A Multiweek, Hands-On Approach to Photovoltaic Education through Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

This multiweek experiment aimed to provide postgraduate chemistry students with hands-on experience in fabricating and understanding the working of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Instead of being provided with built-in kits or commercial materials, students were taught to synthesize all the components required to fabricate a fully functional DSSC. Students learned the preparation of conductive glass through demonstration, actually prepared TiO₂ nanoparticles, iodide/triiodide electrolyte, and anthocyanin dye by extraction from red cabbage for sensitization. This activity series not only helped improve their technical skills, but also helped them understand how individual materials come together to form a working solar cell. The primary focus of this activity series was on minimal-resource practices, by synthesizing all materials in-house using low-cost methods with easily available materials. In the final experimental session, students evaluated the electrical output of their own DSSCs, both individually and in combined series/parallel configurations, and reflected on the differences between theoretical and experimental results. By the end of this multiweek activity, students developed a stronger connection between what was learned in theory and real-world energy applications.