Date Approved

1-13-2025

Graduate Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Engineering (M.S.E.)

Degree Program

School of Engineering

First Advisor

Dr. Lihong (Heidi) Jiao

Second Advisor

Dr. Christopher Pung

Third Advisor

Dr. Lindsay Corneal

Academic Year

2024/2025

Abstract

The demand for innovations that improve the efficiency of solar panels has grown due to an increasing reliance on solar energy as a sustainable energy source. Great effort has been made to increase the conversion efficiency of solar energy to electrical energy. The accumulation of dirt, dust, and other environmental particulates on their surfaces is a challenge faced by solar panel technology. These contaminants can significantly reduce the overall performance of the solar panel. Recently, interest in developing self-cleaning surfaces has risen to maintain the performance of solar panels.To create self-cleaning surfaces, silicon dioxide (SiO2) nanoparticles are emerging as promising material. SiO2 is known for its high transparency, chemical stability and superhydrophobic properties. The superhydrophobic characteristic allows water to form droplets that easily roll off the surface, carrying away dust and other particles from the panel surface.

The focus of the study is to improve the existing synthesis methods, which are often time consuming and complex to create hydrophobic nanoparticle coatings for solar panel surfaces. The synthesis process involves two phases. First, a solution is prepared using tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS), ethanol, ammonium hydroxide (NH4OH), and hexamethyldisilazane (HMDS), where TEOS serves as the silicon source. In the second phase, the solution is modified with HMDS to functionalize the surface to achieve desired material properties, such as hydrophobicity. This study significantly reduces synthesis time while maintaining essential functional properties. Water contact angle, atomic force microscopy (AFM), transmittance and surface roughness are used to characterize the prepared samples. The prepared nanoparticle coatings demonstrate superhydrophobic properties with a water contact angle of almost up to 155 degrees, excellent optical transmittance, and durability. Standard accelerated abrasion tests only reduced the contact angle from 145 degrees to 125 degrees, confirming the durability of the nanoparticle without any major changes in transmittance. The synthesized nanoparticle coating is prepared at room temperature, which makes the process more practical and accessible for large-scale applications. Overall, the results present an efficient, sustainable, and faster solution that improves the performance of solar panels by aligning with real-world and scalable implementation.

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