Improving the efficiency of dye-sensitized solar cells based on rare-earth metal modified bismuth ferrites

This study reports light energy harvesting characteristics of bismuth ferrite (BiFeO 3 ) and BiFO 3 doped with rare-earth metals such as neodymium (Nd), praseodymium (Pr), and gadolinium (Gd) dye solutions that were prepared by using the co-precipitation method. The structural, morphological, and optical properties of synthesized materials were studied, confirming that 5–50 nm sized synthesized particles have a well-developed and non-uniform grain size due to their amorphous nature. Moreover, the peaks of photoelectron emission for bare and doped BiFeO 3 were observed in the visible region at around 490 nm, while the emission intensity of bare BiFeO 3 was noticed to be lower than that of doped materials. Photoanodes were prepared with the paste of the synthesized sample and then assembled to make a solar cell. The natural and synthetic dye solutions of Mentha, Actinidia deliciosa , and green malachite, respectively, were prepared in which the photoanodes were immersed to analyze the photoconversion efficiency of the assembled dye-synthesized solar cells. The power conversion efficiency of fabricated DSSCs, which was confirmed from the I–V curve, is in the range from 0.84 to 2.15%. This study confirms that mint ( Mentha ) dye and Nd-doped BiFeO 3 materials were found to be the most efficient sensitizer and photoanode materials among all the sensitizers and photoanodes tested.