Yb,Er-Doped CeO2 Nanotubes as an Assistant Layer for Photoconversion-Enhanced Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

Rongfang Zhao, Peng Gu, Long Huan, Rong Guo, Ming Chen*, Guowang Diao*

College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225002, P. R. China.

Abstract:Yb,Er-doped CeO2 nanotubes weresuccessfully synthesized using Ag nanowires as a hard template via a facile hydrothermal reaction and subsequent calcination and leaching processes. Yb,Er-doped CeO2 nanotubes as a promising assistant layer were investigated to determine theirs photovoltaic properties in an effort to enhance the power conversion efficiency of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The influence factors of photoelectric properties of CeO2:Yb,Er NTs, including diameter of nanotubes, hydrothermal time, calcination temperature, and elements doping, have been studied. Compared with pristine P25 photoanode, the DSSCs fabricated by CeO2:Yb,Er nanotubes and P25 exhibited a power conversion efficiency (η) of 8.67%, an increase of 34%, and incident photo-to-electric conversion efficiency (IPCE) of 92.96%, an increase of 48.83%, which evidence that CeO2:Yb,Er NTs are a promising assistant photoanode material for DSSCs.The enhance mechanism of CeO2:Yb,Er nanotubes has been further revealed according to experimental results.

J. Power Sources.2016, 331, 527-534.

论文连接：http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jpowsour.2016.09.039