ABSTRACT
Solar cells (SCs), which can convert the sunlight into electricity, have been considered as the promising routes to green and renewable energy generation. However, the insufficient utilization of the solar spectrum in common SCs due to the spectral mismatch between the solar spectrum and the absorption of SCs is an obstacle to improving the efficiencies and developing toward practical applications of SCs. To make full use of solar energy, up-conversion, downshifting and quantum cutting phosphors have shown great promise as spectral converters to reduce the spectral mismatch and enhance the performance of SCs. In this chapter, fundamentals for luminescent phosphors as spectral converters are presented in the context of enhancing efficiencies of various SCs including silicon SC, dye-sensitized SC, organic SC and perovskite SC. Finally, the challenges with emerging research directions are mentioned for further developments of future luminescent-based SCs, and some perspectives for future research are also presented.
