A simple modification of near-infrared photon-to-electron response with fluorescence resonance energy transfer for dye-sensitized solar cells

• UC-YF3 is utilized as an attachment layer in DSSC.
• UC-YF3 as light scattering layer achieve a higher power-conversion efficiency.
• FRET and FRET-like process are found in the modified DSSC.
• The NIR-photon to electron process is confirmed by SPS and IPCE.

Upconversion (UC) Er, Yb-YF3 is introduced into dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC) through a simple method to investigate the effect of UC particles in photoanode. The utilization of UC phosphor can significantly improve the photocurrent of the cells under both infrared irradiation and sunlight. Fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) and luminescence-mediated energy transfer between UC-YF3 and N719 dye are explored as the main contribution that UC-YF3 made to DSSC. With the multi-efforts of UC-YF3, power conversion efficiency (PCE) of DSSC is improved from 5.18% to 6.22%. Besides, Electron transfer between UC-YF3 and TiO2 is found after sintered at 450 °C, and the PCE value of DSSC is improved further (5.34% → 6.76%). In addition, we explore that UC-YF3 can serve as a scattering material to increase the light absorption capability of the cells and increase the photocurrent of the cells under simulated sunlight irradiation.

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