Sunlight activated lanthanide complex for luminescent solar collector applications: effect of waveguide matrix

The performance of Eu(DBM) 3 Phen complex (EDP) dispersed in PMMA poly-(methyl methacrylate) polymer matrix, as simple planner luminescent solar collectors (LSCs) is demonstrated using spectroscopic and photovoltaic (PV) measurements. The organic ligands absorb ultra-violet-blue (UV-blue) radiation (220–450 nm) very efficiently and transfer its energy to the Eu 3+ ion, which gives an intense red emission even in sunlight exposure. The excellent optical properties of EDP in PMMA permit its coating on the front surface of c-Si solar cell (10 × 10 cm 2 ) for PV measurements. The PV characterizations reveal the improvement in the short circuit current density ( J sc ) of PV cell and maximum improvement is found to be 4.6% for 2.5 wt% EDP concentration in PMMA matrix. The efficiency of solar cell increases from 17.22% to 18.33% for bare and 2.5% EDP in PMMA. At a higher concentration of EDP, the thin film starts losing its transparency and hence PV efficiency decreases. These results illustrate that a EDP complex combined with a PV cell could work as a prototype of a new generation solar cell.