A superhydrophobic composite coating with transparency, long-term durability and self-healing properties for cleaning of photovoltaic systems

Grey layer accumulation is one of the primary causes of frequent poor performance in solar photovoltaic (PV) systems. Transparent superhydrophobic coatings with self-cleaning properties have been introduced to maintain efficiency of these systems. However, durability and stability are crucial for these coatings to function in harsh, practical environments. This research proposes an innovative preparation scheme for superhydrophobic polydimethylsiloxane (PMDS)@hexamethyldisilazane (HMDS)-silica nanoparticle coatings. The results show that the coating has a maximum contact angle of 157.43 +/- 1.19 degrees and a sliding angle of 2.97 +/- 0.22 degrees, where the light transmission of the PDMS@HMDS coating is about 99 %. In addition, the coating has excellent self-cleaning ability, high-temperature resistance, strong ultraviolet (UV) protection, and chemical resistance, further enhancing its reliability and durability in practical applications. Notably, damage to the coating can be repaired at 80 degrees C within just half an hour, demonstrating its potent self-healing ability. The photovoltaic performance curves reveal that the maximum output power of the coating-covered photovoltaic panels was increased by 2.03 %. This revelation opens broad prospects for applications of transparent superhydrophobic coatings in PV power generation systems.