Improvement of performance of dye-sensitized solar cells by doping Er2O3 into TiO2 electrodes

Erbium-doped TiO2 electrodes for solar energy cells were prepared and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). I–V properties of the cells were measured using a Linear Sweep Voltammetry system. The results indicated that the performance of the cells has been improved remarkably due to Er3+ doping. Photoelectrical conversion efficiency was enhanced from 4.83% to 6.05% by Er3+ doping under AM=1.5 illumination, in which the effective area of the DSSC is 0.7×0.7 cm2.