Yb,Er-doped CeO2 nanotubes as an assistant layer for photoconversion-enhanced dye-sensitized solar cells

Yb,Er-doped CeO2 nanotubes were successfully 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 (eta) 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. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.