UV-resistant transparent and durable superhydrophobic SiO₂/ZnO/fluorocarbon coatings with a cross-linked carbon network for enhanced outdoor dust removal performance

Low-adhesion superhydrophobic coatings have been considered an effective strategy for mitigating dust accumulation on photovoltaic surfaces, while their long-term outdoor stability under ultraviolet irradiation remains a major challenge. In this work, a dense fluorocarbon layer was deposited onto a SiO₂–ZnO composite coating by magnetron sputtering to construct a transparent and UV-resistant superhydrophobic dust removal surface. The as-prepared SZ/CF coating exhibits a high water contact angle of 162.8°, a dust removal efficiency of 99.14%, and an average transmittance of 89.67%. After 300 h of UV-B accelerated aging, the coating still maintains superhydrophobicity (150.8°) and high dust removal efficiency (97.01%), demonstrating excellent ultraviolet durability. Mechanistic analysis indicates that the formation of a three-dimensional cross-linked fluorocarbon network suppresses photo-oxidation and preserves the integrity of the low-surface-energy interface. This work provides an effective strategy for developing durable transparent superhydrophobic coatings for long-term photovoltaic dust removal applications.