Maintaining solar cell efficiency realized by high-transparency dual-function SiO₂ coating with self-cleaning and dust removal

Addressing the issue of dust deposition on photovoltaic (PV) panels is of profound scientific significance and practical value for enhancing PV power generation. Transparent superhydrophobic coating is expected to be applied in the self-cleaning of PV panels. However, developing the transparent superhydrophobic dust removal coatings remains a challenge. Herein, we developed a highly transparent F-SiO₂ coating with dual self-cleaning and dust removal functions, composed of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and SiO₂. The coating demonstrates a high transmittance of 97 %. After self-cleaning and dust removal tests, conversion efficiency of F-SiO₂ coated PV decreased by only 0.03 % and 0.01 %, respectively, demonstrating excellent self-cleaning and dust removal performance. Additionally, the F-SiO₂ exhibits high stability. Mechanism analysis of dust removal performance reveals that the decreased effective dielectric constant from the porous structure and the reduced actual contact area between the particles and the superhydrophobic surface, thereby effectively reduces the van der Waals force between dust and coating. This work provides a novel strategy to prepare self-cleaning and dust removal coatings on PV cover plate.