Development of Y2O3: Ho3+/Yb3+ Upconverting Nanophosphors for Enhancing Solar Cell Efficiency of Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

Light scattering behavior of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) containing Y
₂
O
₃
: Ho
³⁺
/Yb
³⁺
upconverting (UC) nanophosphor has been studied. To study the influence of UC nanophosphors on photovoltaic performance of DSSCs, UC nanophosphors have been introduced into the TiO
₂
film to form the hybrid film. The electron ejection ability, current density (JSC ), open-circuit voltage (VOC ), and power conversion efficiency (PCE) of DSSCs have been determined. The enhancement of about 31% and 30% for JSC and PCE in DSSCs hybrid film compared with that of DSSCs TiO2 film has been observed due to improved near infrared to visible light harvesting properties of UC nanophosphors.