We synthesized NaYF4:Yb3+/Er3+ nanorods (NR) through a hydrothermal process. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) analyses revealed that these nanorods are composed of smaller NaYF4:Yb3+/Er3+ nanocrystals. Subsequent annealing treatments caused these nanocrystals to fuse into larger structures. We incorporated the NaYF4:Yb3+/Er3+ NR into a mesoporous TiO2 film to create NaYF4:Yb3+/Er3+ NR/TiO2 photoanodes for application in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Our investigation focused on how variations in the structure and doping concentration of NaYF4:Yb3+/Er3+ NR within the TiO2 matrix affected the photovoltaic performance of the DSSCs.Notably, the photoanode that incorporated 1.0 wt% NaYF4:Yb3+/Er3+ NR, annealed at 500 °C, exhibited superior photovoltaic performance, achieving a short-circuit current density (Jsc) of 10.60 mA cm-2 and a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 6.20%. This represents a 31.35% increase in Jsc and a remarkable 95.58% improvement in PCE compared to the reference TiO2-based DSSC, which had a Jsc of 8.07 mA cm-2 and a PCE of 3.17%. The enhancements in photovoltaic performance can be attributed to the upconversion properties of NaYF4:Yb3+/Er3+ NR and their ability to facilitate charge separation, which ultimately improves the efficiency of the solar cells.

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