The addition of 400 micron scale rare-earth metal oxide particles to the TiO2 nanoparticle acceptor layer of a dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) dramatically increases the efficiency of the solar cell by 10-30%. Oxidized neodymium powder, Nd2O3, combined with TiO2 nanoparticles forms a composite photoanode containing a wide range of Nd2O3 particle sizes. Based on absorbance measurements, the dye-uptake on the Nd2O3/TiO2 anode increases substantially compared to both a standard anode and to one made from a mixture of large and small TiO2 particles. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) shows a similar electron lifetime, but increased electron transport diffusion coefficient through the Nd2O3/TiO2 composite as compared to TiO2 only. This shows that the Nd2O3/TiO2 composite has a lower internal resistance for charge transport. This decrease in resistance, possibly due to the filling of trap states by the Nd2O3 valence or f-states, and increased dye uptake results in improved efficiency by simple incorporation of Nd2O3 powder. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.