Self-sustaining antifouling coating for underwater solar cells

IF 6.5 2区材料科学 Q1 CHEMISTRY, APPLIED Progress in Organic Coatings Pub Date : 2024-08-23 DOI:10.1016/j.porgcoat.2024.108754

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Abstract

If not protected, underwater solar cells are encrusted with biological organisms, such as algae and barnacles, which lower the electrical or operational efficiency and are expensive to remove. We engineered a self-sustaining antifouling coating using ultra-low concentrations of nano-sized, seawater-soluble pigments, specifically cuprous oxide (Cu₂O) and zinc oxide (ZnO), combined with an organic booster biocide and a fast-polishing binder material. This coating maintained high levels of visible light transmission for three months in tropical seawater without requiring human intervention, such as mechanical cleaning. Field tests demonstrated the coating's effectiveness in preventing biofouling, while preserving transparency. We anticipate that these self-sustaining antifouling coatings can be applied to thin, transparent, and interchangeable substrates for continual replacement on solar-powered autonomous underwater vehicles or solar cell platforms, thereby ensuring long-term operational efficiency.

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用于水下太阳能电池的自持防污涂层

如果不加以保护，水下太阳能电池就会被藻类和藤壶等生物所覆盖，从而降低电能或运行效率，而且清除成本高昂。我们利用超低浓度的纳米级海水可溶性颜料，特别是氧化亚铜（Cu2O）和氧化锌（ZnO），结合有机增效杀菌剂和快速抛光粘合剂材料，设计出了一种自持式防污涂层。这种涂层在热带海水中保持高水平的可见光透射率长达三个月，无需人工干预，如机械清洁。现场测试表明，这种涂层在保持透明度的同时，还能有效防止生物污染。我们预计，这些自持式防污涂层可应用于薄而透明的可互换基底上，以便在太阳能自主水下航行器或太阳能电池平台上持续更换，从而确保长期运行效率。

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来源期刊

Progress in Organic Coatings 工程技术-材料科学：膜

CiteScore

11.40

自引率

15.20%

发文量

577

审稿时长

48 days

期刊介绍： The aim of this international journal is to analyse and publicise the progress and current state of knowledge in the field of organic coatings and related materials. The Editors and the Editorial Board members will solicit both review and research papers from academic and industrial scientists who are actively engaged in research and development or, in the case of review papers, have extensive experience in the subject to be reviewed. Unsolicited manuscripts will be accepted if they meet the journal''s requirements. The journal publishes papers dealing with such subjects as: • Chemical, physical and technological properties of organic coatings and related materials • Problems and methods of preparation, manufacture and application of these materials • Performance, testing and analysis.