Key Words:Dye-sensitized solar cells;Coatings - Electromagnetic wave absorption - Energy conversion - Light - Light absorption - Solar cells - Titanium dioxide;Charge recombinations - Coating layer - Down conversion - Hydrothermal methods - Photo-anodes - Photoelectrochemical properties - Thin coating - Visible light absorption

Abstract:In this paper, TiO<inf>2</inf>particles (~30&nbsp;nm) modified with Gd<inf>2</inf>O<inf>3</inf>-coating layer (~2&nbsp;nm) for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) were fabricated via the hydrothermal method. Among the solar cells based on the Gd³⁺-doped TiO<inf>2</inf>photoanodes, the optimal conversion efficiency was obtained from the 0.025Gd³⁺-modified TiO<inf>2</inf>-based cell, with a 17.7% improvement in the efficiency as compared to the unmodified one (7.18%). This enhancement was probably due to the improved UV radiation harvesting via a down-conversion luminescence process by Gd³⁺ions, enhancement of visible light absorption and improved dye loading capacity. In addition, after Gd modification, a thin coating could be formed on the TiO<inf>2</inf>nanoparticles, which worked as an energy barrier and resulted in a lower charge recombination. &copy; 2017, Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht.

Volume:19

Issue:5

Translation or Not:no