980‐nm Laser‐Driven Photovoltaic Cells Based on Rare‐Earth Up‐Converting Phosphors for Biomedical Applications

Abstract A prerequisite for designing and constructing wireless biological nanorobots is to obtain an electrical source that is continuously available in the operational biological environment. Herein the first preparation of 980‐nm laser‐driven photovoltaic cells (980LD‐PVCs) by introducing of a film of rare‐earth up‐converting nanophosphors in conventional dye‐sensitized solar cells is reported. Under the irradiation of a 980‐nm laser with a power of 1 W, the visible up‐converting luminescence of rare‐earth nanophosphors can be efficiently absorbed by the dyes in 980LD‐PVCs so that they exhibit a maximal output power of 0.47 mW. In particular, after being covered with 1 to 6 layers of pig intestines (thickness: ca. 1 mm per layer) as a model of biological tissues, 980LD‐PVCs still possess a maximal output power of between 0.28 and 0.02 mW, which is efficient enough to drive many kinds of biodevices. This research opens up the possibility of preparing and/or developing novel electrical sources for wireless biological nanorobots and many other biodevices.