Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 16, 2026
Self-Assembly of Hybrid Lipid Membranes Doped with Hydrophobic Organic Molecules at the Water/Air Interface
Published on: May 1, 2020
Co-assembled surfactant-silica nanoporous coating enabling photovoltaic efficiency enhancement under variable
Yue Zhang1, Jianwen Peng1, Xinyu Bu1
1School of Chemical Engineering and Technology and State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering and Low-Carbon Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300350, PR China; Collaborative Innovation Centre of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin), Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, PR China; Tianjin Key Laboratory of Chemical Process Safety and Equipment Technology, Tianjin 300072, PR China.
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 (SO₃2-) 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 SO₃2- 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.
