Boosting the Photoelectrochemical Activity of TiO2-Au Films by Harvesting Infrared Photons with a Li-Codoped NaYF4:Yb,Er Upconversion Layer


Zhumanova K. Goponenko D. Beisenbayev A.R. Lim C.-K. Hwang Y.-H. Atabaev T.S.
25 July 2025American Chemical Society

ACS Applied Optical Materials
2025#3Issue 71547 - 1555 pp.

Conventional solar-harnessing devices have limited ability to capture photons in the infrared (IR) region, necessitating the introduction of additional methods to minimize these light harvesting losses. In this study, we first investigated the effects of Li element codoping on the upconversion (UC) properties of NaYF4:Yb,Er nanoparticles (NPs) prepared by a thermal decomposition method. It was shown that UC quantum yield (QY) of optimal Li-codoped NaYF4:Yb,Er NPs was enhanced to ∼4.54 times, resulting in more intense UC emission. Next, we investigated the ability of UC NPs combined with the plasmonic properties of gold NPs to convert near-infrared (NIR) light into visible light, thereby increasing the absorption range and photoelectrochemical (PEC) activity efficiency of TiO2thin films. A chronoamperometry study revealed that UC NPs can improve the IR light harvesting ability of TiO2-Au thin films, resulting in a photocurrent density enhancement of around 21.1 and 36.3% for NaYF4:Yb,Er NPs and Li-codoped NaYF4:Yb,Er NPs, respectively. Our findings underscore the potential of UC materials with improved optical properties in expanding light absorption of solar-harnessing devices in the IR range.

IR harvesting , NaYF4:Yb,Er nanoparticles , photoelectrochemical activity , TiO2-Au thin film , upconversion layer

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Department of Chemistry, School of Sciences and Humanities, Nazarbayev University, Astana, 010000, Kazakhstan
Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, School of Engineering and Digital Sciences, Nazarbayev University, Astana, 010000, Kazakhstan
Department of Nano Energy Engineering & BK FOUR Nanoconvergence Technology Division, Pusan National University, Busan, 46241, South Korea

Department of Chemistry
Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering
Department of Nano Energy Engineering & BK FOUR Nanoconvergence Technology Division

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