Synthesis of CeVO4:Dy3+ Nanoparticles as Down Converter and Its Application for Efficiency Enhancement in Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

For the first time, the application of CeVO4:Dy3+ luminescent film as down converter for efficiency enhancement in Dye Sensitized Solar Cell (DSSC) was studied through two ways, inside and outside the DSSC in order to increase the sun light harvesting and achieving increased DSSC efficiency. CeVO4 nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized by hydrothermal method at various reaction times and temperatures and then characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), photoluminescence (PL), Field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy. The CeVO4:Dy3+ NPs with different molar ratios of Dy3+ ion were synthesized and characterized by PL spectroscopy. Photoelectrodes (PEs) of DSSC were produced by electrophoresis deposition (EPD). A film of these luminescent NPs on the back surface of the PE of DSSC resulted in increased DSSC efficiency by 8.05% compared to that of the cell based on uncoated photoelectrode, while using them as precursor in preparation PE improved the cells efficiency by 5.56%. The improvement can be attributed to the down conversion effect of CeVO4:Dy3+ nanoparticles.