Effect of luminescent material NaYbF4: Ho3+ on the photovoltaic performance of dye-sensitized solar cells

Abstract

Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) based on conventional P25 photoanode films have poor photovoltaic performance due to their inability to utilize the infrared light, which accounts for 43% of the solar spectrum. To overcome this defect, we prepared the upconversion luminescent material NaYbF₄: Ho³⁺ by the solvent thermal method and incorporated it into the photoanode of DSSCs. The upconversion luminescent material NaYbF₄: Ho³⁺ is a composite multifunctional material that can absorb infrared light and emit different bands of visible light. The composite film formed by doping NaYbF₄: Ho³⁺ in the photoanode film can indirectly utilize infrared light to broaden the spectral absorption range and improve the absorption of photons. The effect of different incorporation ratios of fluorescent materials on cell performance was studied. Optimal performance devices based on optimized ratios of UCNPs achieve a high-power conversion efficiency of 7.52%, an improvement of 28.8% compared to conventional P25 nanoparticle-based DSSCs (5.84%). The improved performance of NaYbF₄: Ho³⁺-based DSSCs could be attributed to the upconversion luminescence effect, high light-trapping efficiency, low charge transfer resistance, and long electron lifetime. This work provides a new possible way to extend the spectral response range of DSSCs and to prepare high-performance solar cells.