The Influence of PEG Content on the Antireflection and Self-cleaning Performance of TiO₂ Thin Films on Photovoltaic Glass Surfaces

Abstract

We investigated the influence of PEG on the surface morphology, photocatalytic performance, photovoltaic conversion efficiency (PCE), and performance in complex environments of TiO₂-PEG composite films. The PEG content was varied to further optimize the comprehensive performance of the composite films. Using titanium isopropoxide as the main raw material, TiO₂-PEG sol was prepared via sol-gel method and coated on the surface of photovoltaic (PV) glass by spin coating. The surface morphology and crystalline phase of the TiO₂-PEG film were analyzed, and the effects of the TiO₂-PEG film on the photocatalytic performance, PCE, contact angle, and performance in complex environments of PV glass were studied. The experimental results show that under the specified experimental conditions, when 4 g PEG10000 is added, the comprehensive performance of the coated PV glass reaches its optimum, with an average transmittance of 91.73% at 550 nm. Using methylene blue (MB) dye degradation experiments, the degradation rate after 2 hours of xenon lamp irradiation reaches 98.15%. The photovoltaic conversion efficiency of the composite film reaches 16.33%, and the contact angle is 3.28°, indicating a superhydrophilic state. It is demonstrated that the appropriate amount of PEG can enhance the transmittance, self-cleaning performance, and photovoltaic conversion efficiency of coated PV glass.

Keywords

thin film / PV glass / titanium isopropoxide / photocatalytic self-cleaning / photovoltaic conversion efficiency

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