Synthesis of Hyperbranched Polyurethane Acrylate as Self-cleaning Protective Film on Solar Panel

Renewable and green energy technologies, particularly the improvement of solar panel efficiency, have gained considerable attention in academic and industrial communities. However, long-term exposure to soiling can lead to substantial reduction in the energy generation capacity of photovoltaic systems. Here, hyperbranched polyurethane acrylate (PHBA) was synthesized using hydroxyl-terminated hyperbranched polyester as a core component. PHBA was subsequently blended with epoxy acrylate (EB600) and rapidly UV-cured to fabricate protective coatings for solar panels. The polymeric coating exhibited outstanding mechanical properties, including tensile strength of about 65.43 MPa, the elongation at break of about 3.73%, adhesion of 1 level, and pencil hardness of 6H. The hyperbranched topological structure can remarkably improve the mechanical properties and extend the service life of solar panels. Moreover, the uniform dispersion of siloxane coupling agent in the polymer matrix improved hydrophobic properties, which effectively reduced dust deposition and maintained voltage stability. The high-performance polymeric coating has shown great application potential in solar panel protective films.