Femtosecond Laser-Engineered Sustainable Glass Surfaces with Tunable Wettability Properties for Photovoltaic System...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Surface Engineering
• Photovoltaics

Background:

• Glass substrates in photovoltaic panels are prone to soiling and degradation.
• Controlling surface wettability is crucial for self-cleaning and efficiency.
• Existing methods often involve coatings that can degrade over time.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate femtosecond laser surface texturing for tuning glass wettability.
• To evaluate the durability and optical properties of textured glass for photovoltaic applications.
• To develop a robust, coating-free method for creating hydrophilic surfaces.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of two microstructured patterns (parallel channels and intersecting patterns) using femtosecond laser surface texturing.
• Comprehensive durability testing: thermal cycling, UV exposure, chemical immersion, mechanical abrasion, and dust retention.
• Wettability measurements (contact angle, wetting dynamics) and optical characterization (transmittance).

Main Results:

• Both parallel and intersecting patterns exhibited stable hydrophilic behavior.
• Intersecting patterns showed the fastest wetting dynamics, achieving complete surface wetting rapidly.
• Durability tests resulted in minor feature smoothing, with micro- and nanostructures remaining intact.
• Laser-induced textures maintained high transmittance with no significant degradation after environmental exposure.

Conclusions:

• Femtosecond laser texturing is a robust, coating-free method for creating stable, tunable wetting behavior on glass.
• The developed textures offer a promising pathway for durable, hydrophilic, self-cleaning surfaces in photovoltaic systems.
• This approach enhances the longevity and efficiency of photovoltaic panels by preventing soiling.