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Analysis on down converting Sm3+-incorporated TiO2 mesoporous nanostructures for DSSC applications

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Abstract

The Dye Sensitized Solar Cells (DSSCs) gaining scientific interest due to its immense property of increased photoelectric conversion efficiency. It may be deficient in the effective utilization of the UV and NIR component of the solar spectrum. The inimitable Titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanostructures have been highly admired as a significant photoanode material for Dye Sensitized Solar Cells. In this study, the effective down conversion ability of the lanthanide Sm3+ incorporated TiO2 nanoparticles has been elucidated by the structural, morphological and optical analysis of the bare and doped samples prepared via modified sol–gel method. The anatase phase of the bare TiO2 exhibits a gradual change to the orthorhombic brookite phase in Sm3+ incorporated sample. The mesoporous nanoparticulates of the Sm3+ incorporated TiO2 shows a lower binding energy than the undoped sample. The PL analysis demonstrates that the Sm3+ doping converts the UV absorption to three strong orange-red emission lines (580, 613 and 665 nm) along with the broad host emission peak of TiO2 at 435 nm, which can be directly synchronized with the absorption wavelengths of N719 dye. The rare earth Sm3+ ion substitution in the bare TiO2 is an effective strategy on the enhancement of photo catalytic activity of TiO2 nanostructure by the additional UV energy harvesting from the solar spectra.

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Acknowledgements

P. S. thanks CSIR, New-Delhi for providing the SRF position [09/0472(0181) 2018-EMR-I] to carry out this research work and K.P.A. thanks NJUST, Nanjing, China for the Post-Doctoral Fellowship. K. P. A. was supported by the European Structural and Investment Funds, OP RDE funded project 'CHEMFELLS IV' (No. CZ.02.2.69/0.0/0.0/ 20_079/0017899).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Materials Research Center, Department of Physics, Nallamuthu Gounder Mahalingam College (Bharathiar University), Coimbatore, India

    S. Yogeswari & P. Sivaraj

  2. Solid State Ionics and Luminance Laboratory, Department of Physics, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore, 642046, India

    P. Sivaraj, K. Somasundaram & P. Christopher Selvin

  3. Department of Physics, Sree Saraswathi Thyagaraja College, Pollachi, 642107, India

    K. Somasundaram

  4. Key Laboratory of Soft Chemistry and Functional Materials of MOE, School of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing, 210094, China

    A. Karuppasamy

  5. Chemistry Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Trombay, Mumbai, 400085, India

    V. Sudarsan

  6. Herbert Gleiter Institute of Nanoscience, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing, 210094, China

    Xia Hui & K. P. Abhilash

  7. Department of Inorganic Chemistry, University of Chemistry and Technology Prague, Technicka-5, 166 28, Prague 6, Czech Republic

    K. P. Abhilash

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  1. S. Yogeswari
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Yogeswari, S., Sivaraj, P., Somasundaram, K. et al. Analysis on down converting Sm3+-incorporated TiO2 mesoporous nanostructures for DSSC applications. J Mater Sci: Mater Electron 33, 1352–1365 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10854-021-07453-6

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