Application of Y₂O₃:Er³⁺ Nanorods in Dye‐Sensitized Solar Cells

Abstract

Y(2)O(3):Er(3+) nanorods are synthesized by means of a hydrothermal method and then introduced into a TiO(2) electrode in a dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC). Y(2)O(3):Er(3+) improves infrared light harvest via up-conversion luminescence and increases the photocurrent of the DSSC. The rare earth ions improve the energy level of the TiO(2) electrode through a doping effect and thus increase the photovoltage. The light scattering is ameliorated by the one-dimensional nanorod structure. The DSSC containing Y(2)O(3):Er(3+) (5 wt%) in the doping layer achieves a light-to-electric energy conversion efficiency of 7.0%, which is an increase of 19.9% compared to the DSSC lacking of Y(2)O(3):Er(3+).

Size-dependent cytotoxicity of yttrium oxide nanoparticles on primary osteoblasts in vitro

“…Therefore, Y 2 O 3 nanoparticles are gaining interest for application in photodynamic therapy and biological imaging (Shih et al 2012;Zako et al 2015;Zobeiri et al 2015). The widely potential commercial and medical application prospects of Y 2 O 3 nanoparticles have raised questions concerning its potential extraordinary hazards on human health (Li et al 2011a, b;Wang et al 2012;Mitra et al 2014;Ghaznavi et al 2015;Zobeiri et al 2015). Although Y 2 O 3 nanoparticles are currently being widely used in modern technology, there is a serious lack of information concerning the human health implications of Y 2 O 3 nanoparticles.…”

Phosphor positioning for effective wavelength conversion in dye-sensitized solar cells

“…For the present study, the downshifting of t-LaVO 4 :Dy 3 + was internally introduced into the DSSCs to promote the wavelength conversion effect. Because downshifting materials lose their photon energy during the process of wavelength conversion, downconversion and up-conversion are more promising methods for increasing light-harvesting efficiency because these processes do not involve energy loss [17][18][19][20]45,46].…”

“…Introducing a phosphor material to convert solar wavelengths absorbed in DSSCs is a promising strategy for utilizing photon energy in the UV and IR range [16][17][18][19][20]. In the years since Trupke et al developed the first theoretical approach utilizing a phosphor material to improve the performance of a solar cell [21], the phosphor-inducted wavelength conversion of solar light has been considered as a promising solution for improving light harvesting efficiency [22][23][24].…”

Enhanced Photovoltaic Performance of Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells by Efficient Near-Infrared Sunlight Harvesting using Upconverting Y2O3:Er3+/Yb3+ Phosphor Nanoparticles

“…In contrast, by employing the Y 2 O 3 :Er 3+ /Yb 3+ nanoparticles in the DSSC, for all the photovoltaic characteristics, the increased values of J SC  = 13.68 mA/cm 2 , V OC  = 0.76 V, FF = 64.32 %, and PCE  = 6.68 % were measured, which leads to the significant PCE increment ratio of ~12.4 %. This is mainly because a considerable enhancement (i.e., increment ratio of ~7.4 %) in the J SC is caused by the efficient UC emissions of Er 3+ ions from the NIR light to the visible light as well as the enhanced light-scattering properties [26, 27]. The V OC also increased slightly.…”