In order to increase of the photocurrent, photovoltage and energy conversion efficiency of dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC), rare-earth doped oxide of Lu2O3:(Tm3+, Yb3+) is prepared and introduced into the TiO2 film in the DSSC. As a luminescence medium, Lu2O3:(Tm3+,Yb3+) improves incident light harvest via a conversion luminescence process and increases photocurrent; as a p-type dopant, the rare-earth ions elevate the energy level of the oxide film and increase the photovoltage. Under a simulated solar light irradiation of 100 mW cm(-2), the light-to-electric energy conversion efficiency of the DSSC with Lu2O3:(Tm3+, Yb3+) doping reaches 6.63%, which is increased by 11.1% compared to the DSSC without Lu2O3:(Tm3+, Yb3+) doping. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.