Co-assembled surfactant-silica nanoporous coating enabling photovoltaic efficiency enhancement under variable humidity conditions

Hypothesis Photovoltaic (PV) panels, the cornerstone of solar energy conversion, are vulnerable to performance degradation caused by surface fogging and contamination accumulation. Although superhydrophilic coatings have been explored to address these issues, their application remains constrained by their singular functionalities. Surfactant assemblies, owing to their amphiphilic molecular structures and capacity for interfacial modulation, emerge as promising candidates for maintaining the photoelectric conversion efficiency (PCE) of PV panels under variable humidity conditions. Experiments Here, the sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate (SDBS) containing sulfonate (SO₃ 2− ) groups and acidic silica sol were co-assembled to construct a superhydrophilic and highly transparent coating with nanoporous structure, the coating significantly improved the PCE of PV panels under variable humidity conditions. We evaluated the coating properties were characterized by measuring the water contact angle (WCA) and visible light transmittance (VLT). Findings This work presents a novel approach to surface functionalization for PV panels through the creation of a surfactant-silica nanoporous (SSN) coating, formed via the co-assembly of SDBS and TEOS under acidic conditions. The synergistic effects of the nanoporous structure and SO₃ 2− groups impart superhydrophilic and unifies anti-reflection, antistatic, self-cleaning, and antifogging properties within a single coating. These features led to a significant enhancement in PCE under variable humidity. Importantly, the coating is fabricated through a simple, scalable process, positioning it as a highly innovative and practical solution for PV performance enhancement and paving the way for new roles of surfactant assemblies in renewable energy systems.