This article focuses on comparing the characteristics of cotton fabric dyed with Diospyros mollis extract (DME) solution and that of cotton fabric dyed with the reactive dye. The parameters of the cotton fabric after dyeing with both types of dyes were assessed, including color strength (K/S), structural morphology, infrared spectrum, antibacterial properties, UV resistance, color fastness to washing, rubbing, light, moisture absorption, breathability, and wastewater indices. The obtained results show that the K/S value of cotton fabric dyed with DME solution is slightly lower than that of cotton fabric dyed with the reactive dye, 18.52 and 19.36, respectively. The cotton fabric dyed with the reactive dye does not exhibit antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, whereas the antibacterial effectiveness against these bacteria for cotton fabric dyed with DME solution is 99.99 %. The UV protection capability of cotton fabric dyed with DME solution is superior to cotton fabric dyed with the reactive dye. The BOD/COD ratio of wastewater from the dyeing process with DME is higher than that of the reactive dye, with values of 0.70 and 0.32, respectively. The findings of this study indicate the superior ability of using DME solution as compared to the reactive dye, which is promising as a natural dye for fabric in medical applications.

The recovery of byproducts from the food industry is a promising approach to obtain hydrophilic biopolymers with potential health benefits. In this work, the mucilage obtained from the peel of the Opuntia ficus-indica (OFI) fruit was compared with gum arabic (GA) as wall materials for the microencapsulation of Colombian blueberry anthocyanins, using the spray-drying process. For both types of microencapsulates, the following were determined: anthocyanin content (UV-vis and HPLC/MS-MS), total dietary content (enzymatic-gravimetric method), antioxidant activity (ORAC), color (CIELab parameters), morphology (SEM and particle size), and thermal behavior (DSC/TGA). Six different anthocyanins were identified by HPLC/MS-MS in the non-lyophilized Andean blueberry sample (LABP) and in the OFI-mucilage and GA microcapsules. OFI mucilage, compared to GA, favors the formation of larger spherical particles, a smoother surface without cracks, and greater thermal stability. The higher anthocyanin retention capacity in OFI microcapsules leads to higher antioxidant capacity and red coloration for this biomaterial. Consequently, the microencapsulation of anthocyanins with mucilage from the peel of the OFI fruit is proposed as a promising alternative for the protection and incorporation of this natural dye with high antioxidant capacity and dietary fiber content in new functional food/cosmetic formulations, while giving added value to the natural byproducts of OFI.

Batik is well known as an intangible cultural heritage. In Indonesia, batik is produced in several areas, with its own characteristics. The batik production process goes through several stages, in which overall processes require the aid of chemicals. Conventionally, the batik production process results in environmental pollution due to direct waste disposal without any significant processing. Along with the increase in public awareness of environmental protection, the batik dyeing process currently backs to natural dyes. The study was conducted to examine the production intention of natural dyes batik. A total of 209 producers of natural dyed batik became respondents in this study. Data collection was carried out directly through filling out paper-based questionnaires as well as using online forms. The findings of this study revealed that producers\' attitude and satisfaction gave significant positive influences on the production intention of natural dyes batik products. Moreover, the findings exhibited the significant effects of social value, quality value, and green value on the attitude and satisfaction of the producer. Attitude was also determined by economic value, but satisfaction was insignificantly affected by economic value. Production intention was strongly predicted by satisfaction and also determined by attitude. The results of this study support in enhancing the concept of natural dyes batik production, which also provide an important role toward sustainable production.

An optimization work on dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) based on both artificial and natural dyes was carried out by a fine synthesis work embedding gold nanoparticles in a TiO2 semiconductor and perfecting the TiO2 particle sizes of the scattering layer. Noble metal nanostructures are known for the surface plasmon resonance peculiarity that reveals unique properties and has been implemented in several fields such as sensing, photocatalysis, optical antennas and PV devices. By embedding gold nanoparticles in the mesoporous TiO2 layer and adding a scattering layer, we were able to boost the power conversion efficiency (PCE) to 10.8%, using an organic ruthenium complex. The same implementation was carried out using a natural dye, betalains, extracted from Sicilian prickly pear. In this case, the conversion efficiency doubled from 1 to 2% (measured at 1 SUN illumination, 100 mW/cm2 under solar simulation irradiation). Moreover, we obtained (measured at 0.1 SUN, 10 mW/cm2 under blue light LED irradiation) a record efficiency of 15% with the betalain-based dye, paving the way for indoor applications in organic natural devices. Finally, an attempt to scale up the system is shown, and a betalain-based- dye-sensitized solar module (DSSM), with an active area of 43.2 cm2 and a PCE of 1.02%, was fabricated for the first time.

This study reports the novel spectroscopic investigations and enhanced the electron transfers of Citrus reticulata and Musa acuminata fruit peels as the photosensitizers for the dye-sensitized solar cells. The calculated TD-DFT-UB3LYP/6-31+G(d,p)-IEFPCM(UAKS), experiment spectra of ultra-violet-visible spectroscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy studies indicate the main flavonoid (hesperidin and gallocatechin) structures of the dye extracts. The optimized flavonoid structures are calculated using Density functional theory (DFT) at 6-31+G(d,p) level. The rutinosyl group of the hesperidin pigment (Citrus reticulata) will be further investigated compared to the gallocatechin (Musa acuminata) pigment. The acidity of the dye extract is treated by adding 2% acetic acid. The energy levels of the HOMO-LUMO dyes are measured by a combined Tauc plot and cyclic voltammetry contrasted with the DFT data. The electrochemical impedance spectroscopy will be performed to model the dye electron transfer. As for the rutinosyl group presence and the acidic treatment, the acidified Citrus reticulata cell under continuous light exposure of 100mW·cm-2 yields a short-circuit current density (Jsc) of 3.23mA/cm2, a photovoltage (Voc) of 0.48V, and a fill factor of 0.45 corresponding to an energy conversion efficiency (η) of 0.71% because the shifting down HOMO-LUMO edges and the broadening dye\'s absorbance evaluated by a combined spectroscopic and TD-DFT method. The result also leads to the longest diffusion length of 32.2μm, the fastest electron transit of 0.22ms, and the longest electron lifetime of 4.29ms.