Transparent self-cleaning coating prepared from SiO2/B4C and SiO2/B4C/TiO2 for the solar cell

• Published in: Journal of sol-gel science and technology 2024-09, Vol.111 (3), p.955-965
• Main Authors: Koysuren, Hafize Nagehan, Koysuren, Ozcan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Boron carbide; Catalytic activity; Ceramics; Chemistry and Materials Science; Cleaning; Composites; Contaminants; Dip coatings; Dyes; Efficiency; Glass; Immersion coating; Inorganic Chemistry; Light irradiation; Light transmission; Materials Science; Methylene blue; Nanoparticles; Nanotechnology; Natural Materials; Optical and Electronic Materials; Original Paper; Photocatalysis; Photodegradation; Photovoltaic cells; Silicon dioxide; Sol-gel processes; Solar cells; Synthesis; Titanium dioxide
• ISSN: 0928-0707; 1573-4846
• DOI: 10.1007/s10971-024-06505-7

Transparent self-cleaning coatings based on photocatalytic activity have attracted great attention in recent years owing to their promising applications in many fields, such as solar cell cover glass. This study reports a simple method to prepare transparent self-cleaning silicon dioxide (SiO 2 ) coatings filled by boron carbide (B 4 C) and titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) nanoparticles. A sol-gel technique was used to synthesize a SiO 2 solution containing B 4 C and TiO 2 nanoparticles, and a dip-coating technique was followed to coat the composite solution on glass slides. The SiO 2 coating was successfully obtained in the presence of both semiconductor nanoparticles as confirmed by FTIR and XRD measurements. Both the photocatalytic activity and self-cleaning property of the composite coatings were evaluated by photocatalytic degradation of a model dye, methylene blue, under visible light irradiation. The SiO 2 coating containing both B 4 C and TiO 2 nanoparticles exhibited an improved photocatalytic activity compared to the SiO 2 coating including only B 4 C. In particular, a 46% degradation rate of the model dye methylene blue was achieved for the SiO 2 coating containing 15 wt% B 4 C and 5 wt% TiO 2 nanoparticles. Highly transparent composite coatings on glass slides were prepared. The SiO 2 coating containing both B 4 C and TiO 2 nanoparticles was found to exhibit ~8% reduction in the optical transmission of the glass slide and ~1% reduction in the efficiency of a solar cell containing the coated glass slide. These findings demonstrated that the SiO 2 composite coatings have potential for self-cleaning applications in removing contaminants from the glass cover of the solar cell under visible light irradiation. Graphical Abstract Highlights SiO 2 was synthesized in the presence of both B 4 C and TiO 2 nanoparticles B 4 C and TiO 2 nanoparticle did not significantly affect the light transmission and the efficiency of the solar cell TiO 2 enhanced the photocatalytic dye degradation efficiency of the SiO 2 coating including B 4 C nanoparticles