Solar EnergyPub Date : 2025-05-13DOI: 10.1016/j.solener.2025.113550
Dou Hong , Fengze Li , Jieming Ma , Ka Lok Man , Huiqing Wen , Prudence Wong
{"title":"Temporal environment informed photovoltaic performance prediction framework with multi-spatial attention LSTM","authors":"Dou Hong , Fengze Li , Jieming Ma , Ka Lok Man , Huiqing Wen , Prudence Wong","doi":"10.1016/j.solener.2025.113550","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.solener.2025.113550","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Predicting the performance of photovoltaic (PV) systems is crucial for optimizing renewable energy utilization. However, traditional time-series methods focus only on temporal patterns, overlooking environmental variations, while dynamic conditions such as partial shading further complicate power prediction. To address this shading-induced variability, we propose a Temporal and Environment-Informed Prediction (TEIP) framework, which enhances PV power prediction by dynamically structuring temporal and environmental data through a novel multi-spatial attention LSTM (MSAL) network. This framework utilizes the TE matrix to capture structured environmental conditions over time, including the variability caused by partial shading. A dual-branch MSAL model uniquely processes environmental data through spatial feature extraction, which is then sequentially processed by LSTM to capture temporal dependencies. This hierarchical spatial–temporal processing enables dynamic adaptation to changing environmental conditions. Experimental results show the framework achieves superior prediction accuracy with R<span><math><msup><mrow></mrow><mrow><mn>2</mn></mrow></msup></math></span> of 0.952 under sunny conditions, significantly outperforming traditional approaches. The framework demonstrates exceptional robustness by maintaining consistent performance (R<span><math><msup><mrow></mrow><mrow><mn>2</mn></mrow></msup></math></span> of 0.948) even under challenging cloudy conditions, validating its effectiveness for real-world applications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":428,"journal":{"name":"Solar Energy","volume":"296 ","pages":"Article 113550"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143936385","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Gear effect promoted solar photocatalytic-Fenton Rhodamine B degradation performance over Fe/TiO2","authors":"Jianxiu Huang, Yifan Bian, Shiping Zhou, Wenxian Wang, Shouqing Liu, Huijuan Li","doi":"10.1016/j.solener.2025.113569","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.solener.2025.113569","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><strong>s:</strong> The degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB), recognized as a persistent organic pollutant, has garnered significant attention. In this study, Fe/TiO<sub>2</sub> catalysts were synthesized by equal volumetric impregnation for the degradation of high-concentration RhB under natural conditions. Fe-modified TiO<sub>2</sub> can broaden the light absorption spectrum and light response, and also can improve the separation and transfer rate of photogenerated carriers. Under the sunlight, the generated e<sup>-</sup> transfers to Fe<sup>3+</sup>, promotes the Fe<sup>3+</sup>/Fe<sup>2+</sup> cycle and realizes the efficient degradation of RhB by Fenton oxidation. It has been demonstrated that the spherical Fe/TiO<sub>2</sub> nanoparticles exhibit a gear effect, thereby demonstrating effective degradation performance. Specifically, a combination of 0.2 g of 1.5 % Fe/TiO<sub>2</sub> catalyst with 1 mL of H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> resulted in 97.5 % removal of 80 mg/L RhB (100 mL) within 210 min. Even after five cycles, the removal rate remained 92 %. Furthermore, 0.1 mL H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> has been demonstrated to function as an effective promotion for the reaction. A significant degradation rate was also maintained in nearly natural environments, obviously broadening the applicable pH range. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) was employed to analyze intermediates and proposed potential degradation pathways. This work presents a promising approach for the development of highly efficient visible light photo-Fenton catalysts.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":428,"journal":{"name":"Solar Energy","volume":"296 ","pages":"Article 113569"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143936395","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Solar EnergyPub Date : 2025-05-13DOI: 10.1016/j.solener.2025.113535
Soikot Sarkar, Sajid Muhaimin Choudhury
{"title":"Efficiency enhancement of c-Si/TiO2 heterojunction thin film solar cell using hybrid metal-dielectric nanostructures","authors":"Soikot Sarkar, Sajid Muhaimin Choudhury","doi":"10.1016/j.solener.2025.113535","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.solener.2025.113535","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The hybrid metal–dielectric nanostructures (HMDN) are promising candidates to address the ohmic loss by conventional nanostructures in photovoltaic applications by strong confinement and high scattering directivity. In this study, we present a c-Si/TiO<sub>2</sub> heterojunction thin film solar cell (TFSC) where a pair of triangular HMDN comprised of Ag and AZO was utilized to enhance the longer wavelength light absorption. The presence of the TiO<sub>2</sub> inverted pyramid layer, in combination with the ITO and SiO<sub>2</sub>-based pyramid layers at the front, enhanced the shorter wavelength light absorption by increasing the optical path and facilitating the coupling of incoming light in photonic mode. Consequently, the average absorption by 1000 nm thick photoactive layer reached 83.32 % for AM 1.5G within the wavelength range of 300 – 1100 nm which was investigated by employing the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method. The electric field profile and absorbed power density profile demonstrated the respective contributions of each layer in the absorption of light at shorter and longer wavelengths. The structure exhibited a short circuit current density (<span><math><msub><mrow><mi>J</mi></mrow><mrow><mi>s</mi><mi>c</mi></mrow></msub></math></span>) of 37.96 mA/cm<span><math><msup><mrow></mrow><mrow><mn>2</mn></mrow></msup></math></span> and a power conversion efficiency (<span><math><mrow><mi>P</mi><mi>C</mi><mi>E</mi></mrow></math></span>) of 17.42 %. The efficiency of our proposed structure experienced a maximum relative change of 0.34 % when a polarized light was exposed with an angle of 0° to 90°. The incorporation of self-heating in non-isothermal conditions reduced <span><math><mrow><mi>P</mi><mi>C</mi><mi>E</mi></mrow></math></span> by 13.77 %. In addition, the comparative analysis to assess the impact of HMDN on our structure revealed a 4.54 % increase in <span><math><mrow><mi>P</mi><mi>C</mi><mi>E</mi></mrow></math></span> of the structure with metallic nanostructures, paving the way for the utilization of HMDN to enhance the performance of TFSC.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":428,"journal":{"name":"Solar Energy","volume":"296 ","pages":"Article 113535"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143936383","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Solar EnergyPub Date : 2025-05-13DOI: 10.1016/j.solener.2025.113594
Min Pak, Subon Hwang, Hyoungjin Jang, Hyunju Kim, Min Gyu Lee, Younghun Kim
{"title":"Integrating photothermal CuS-nanowire meshes with thermoelectric modules for efficient solar energy conversion","authors":"Min Pak, Subon Hwang, Hyoungjin Jang, Hyunju Kim, Min Gyu Lee, Younghun Kim","doi":"10.1016/j.solener.2025.113594","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.solener.2025.113594","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>With the growing demand for renewable energy, research on innovative solar energy conversion systems has accelerated, particularly focusing on overcoming the drawbacks of conventional solar collectors, i.e., low efficiency under varying sunlight conditions and limited scalability. To address these challenges, a hybrid system was developed by integrating a photothermal CuS nanowire (CuS-N) mesh with thermoelectric (TE) modules. System performance was evaluated under three configurations: Mesh–Air, Water–Water, and Mesh–Water. Among them, the Mesh–Water configuration exhibited the best performance, delivering the highest power output of 3.11 mW under 10-min light irradiation and a maximum TE conversion efficiency of 11.65 %. The CuS-N mesh, synthesized via a Kirkendall-effect-driven sulfidation process and encapsulated with a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) coating, exhibited strong infrared absorption and excellent photothermal durability, maintaining nearly 100 % performance after 10 repeated cycles. Infrared wavelengths played a dominant role, contributing 62.9 % and 66.3 % to temperature increase and voltage generation, respectively, indicating strong potential under diffuse sunlight conditions. To validate the system, the hybrid solar collector with TE modules in the Mesh–Water configuration was modeled using MATLAB Simulink. Simulation, based on five 1-m-long pipes, predicted a peak power output of 138 W under optimal conditions, supporting the scalability and applicability of the system. These findings demonstrate the synergistic mechanism between photothermal and thermoelectric conversion and highlight the potential of the proposed hybrid system as a durable, scalable, and multifunctional solar energy solution for applications such as water heating and off-grid power generation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":428,"journal":{"name":"Solar Energy","volume":"296 ","pages":"Article 113594"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143936386","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Solar EnergyPub Date : 2025-05-13DOI: 10.1016/j.solener.2025.113575
Yan Zhu , Bin Yao , Zhanhui Ding , Yongfeng Li , Liyuan Shi , Chunkai Wang , Ding Ma , Mengge Li , Yue Liu , Ning Ding , Yuting Sun , Xiaofei Sun , Shaung Li
{"title":"Improvement of the performance of Cu2ZnSn(S,Se)4 solar cells by synergistic effect of nonuniform Ag and In Co-doping","authors":"Yan Zhu , Bin Yao , Zhanhui Ding , Yongfeng Li , Liyuan Shi , Chunkai Wang , Ding Ma , Mengge Li , Yue Liu , Ning Ding , Yuting Sun , Xiaofei Sun , Shaung Li","doi":"10.1016/j.solener.2025.113575","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.solener.2025.113575","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In this work, non-uniform Ag and In co-doped CZTSSe (NoU-Ag<sub>x</sub>In<sub>y</sub>, x = Ag/(Ag + Cu) = 0–15 %, y = In/(In + Zn + Sn) = 0–12 %) was prepared by doping Ag at the front surface of CZTSSe and doping In at the back surface of CZTSSe. CZTSSe solar cell with conventional structure but without anti-reflection layer was fabricated by using the NoU-Ag<sub>x</sub>In<sub>y</sub> as absorber (Cell-NoU-Ag<sub>x</sub>In<sub>y</sub>). Through optimizing the Ag and In doping concentration, the highest PCE of 11.82 % was achieved in the cell-NoU-Ag<sub>x</sub>In<sub>y</sub> with x = 10 % and y = 8 %. It is higher than the highest PCE (9.05 %) of CZTSSe solar cells obtained in this work and the highest PCE (9.45 %) of uniform Ag and In co doped CZTSSe solar cells with similar doping concentrations of Ag and In. Compared to CZTSSe solar cell, the increased PCE of cell-NoU-AgIn is dominantly due to decreased J<sub>0</sub>, followed by increase in J<sub>L</sub>. The decrease in J<sub>0</sub> is mainly attributed to reduce in number of [2Cu<sub>Zn</sub> + Sn<sub>Zn</sub>] defect clusters and of ZnSe at front interface induced by Ag doping, as well as formation of passivation field at back interface induced by In doping. The increase in J<sub>L</sub> is mainly due to increase in depletion region width induced by the Ag doping and formation of the passivation field. This study demonstrates that non-uniform Ag and In doped CZTSSe is favorable to increasing PCE of CZTSSe solar cells.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":428,"journal":{"name":"Solar Energy","volume":"296 ","pages":"Article 113575"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143943234","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Solar EnergyPub Date : 2025-05-13DOI: 10.1016/j.solener.2025.113587
Vishal Tiwari, Bonamali Pal, Sukhandeep Kaur
{"title":"Photocatalysis of Ag-loaded MgTiO3 for degradation of fuchsin dye and dyes present in textile wastewater under sunlight","authors":"Vishal Tiwari, Bonamali Pal, Sukhandeep Kaur","doi":"10.1016/j.solener.2025.113587","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.solener.2025.113587","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The growing concern over the release of personal care items and toxic dye substances into the environment spurred the adoption of risk assessment and management. Our research focuses on the fabrication of MgTiO<sub>3</sub> by a sonochemical approach and improving its photocatalytic characteristics by loading it with Ag metal. This change allows the photocatalyst to efficiently absorb broad-spectrum solar light while effectively separating charges, which are critical for photocatalysis. Both MgTiO<sub>3</sub> and Ag-MgTiO<sub>3</sub> were discovered to exhibit spherical shapes, with Ag showing as smaller spheres and MgTiO<sub>3</sub> as bigger ones. The Ag-MgTiO<sub>3</sub> photocatalyst effectively degraded Fuchsin dye (Fuc) under solar light exposure, achieving a rate constant of 0.0314 min<sup>−1</sup> over 50 min. Comparable tests with visible and UV light produced lower Fuc breakdown rates of 87 % and 62.3 %, respectively, highlighting direct sunlight as our catalyst’s most effective light source (99.2 %). Even at a low catalyst dosage (0.3 g/L), Ag-MgTiO<sub>3</sub> demonstrated excellent efficiency of 99.2 % compared to 55.6 % with pristine MgTiO<sub>3</sub>. Its photocatalytic activity substantially outperformed commerical TiO<sub>2</sub>-P25 powder, which only achieved 42 % removal of fuc dye. The catalyst had a zero charge surface pH of 4.46 and achieved maximum Fuc decomposition efficiency at pH 7. Reusability experiments showed the catalyst’s high stability, with an 81.8 % Fuc degradation efficiency after five repetitions. Scavenger studies emphasized the crucial role of O<sub>2</sub><sup>•-</sup> active species in the photodecomposition process, including DMSO, a marked alteration lowering Fuc degradation effectiveness to 37.5 %. Additionally, Ag-MgTiO<sub>3</sub> showed a remarkable 67.8 % reduction in total organic carbon (TOC) for Fuc Dye. HRMS demonstrated the formation of simpler intermediates during contaminant degradation. Ag-MgTiO<sub>3</sub>, with its simple synthesis method and outstanding performance, is a promising alternative for eliminating persistent pollutants in textile wastewater systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":428,"journal":{"name":"Solar Energy","volume":"296 ","pages":"Article 113587"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143936387","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Solar EnergyPub Date : 2025-05-12DOI: 10.1016/j.solener.2025.113559
Wang Yutao, Gong Jianying, Gao Tieyu, Li Xiangyu, Wu Xin
{"title":"Ultrasound-driven droplet transport: A novel dust removal strategy for optical surfaces","authors":"Wang Yutao, Gong Jianying, Gao Tieyu, Li Xiangyu, Wu Xin","doi":"10.1016/j.solener.2025.113559","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.solener.2025.113559","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study proposes a novel dust removal strategy for optical surfaces based on ultrasound-driven droplets, revealing for the first time the motion characteristics and cleaning mechanisms of droplets on dust-covered surfaces under ultrasonic excitation. A piezoelectric ceramic-glass substrate coupled vibration system was developed, and experimental investigations were conducted on dust collection and removal via ultrasound-driven droplets. The results indicate that acoustic streaming drag force dominates dust motion within droplets under ultrasonic actuation, achieving a movement speed of 20.8 mm·s<sup>−1</sup> for dust with a coverage density of 10 g·m<sup>−2</sup>. The visible light transmittance of the cleaned area improved from 16 % to 93 %. By analyzing the impedance characteristics of the piezoelectric ceramics and substrate vibrations, 650 kHz was identified as the optimal driving frequency. The droplet movement speed increases with voltage, exhibiting a driving threshold of 40 V and a splashing threshold of 75 V, while peaking at a droplet volume of 140–160 μL. In the case of cleaning photovoltaic panel surfaces, the energy consumption of this method accounts for only 0.46 % of the additional power generated post-cleaning daily, with water usage reduced by over 90 % compared to conventional spray cleaning. This study offers an innovative solution for water-efficient and high-performance glass surface cleaning in arid regions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":428,"journal":{"name":"Solar Energy","volume":"296 ","pages":"Article 113559"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143936384","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Solar EnergyPub Date : 2025-05-10DOI: 10.1016/j.solener.2025.113579
Yiqi Liu , Peng Tao , Yucheng Wu , Laicheng Yin
{"title":"The DSOGI-PLL with the repetitive control internal model suppresses the SSO in the PV system","authors":"Yiqi Liu , Peng Tao , Yucheng Wu , Laicheng Yin","doi":"10.1016/j.solener.2025.113579","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.solener.2025.113579","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The interaction between PV system and inductive grid impedance under weak grid is easy to cause sub-/super-synchronous oscillation (SSO). The coupling phenomenon between grid impedance and PLL cannot be ignored. In this paper, the influence of output phase of PLL on coordinate transformation is analyzed, and a mathematical model of PV inverter considering oscillation phase is established. By establishing and analyzing the mathematical model, the mechanism of SSO disturbance of photovoltaic inverter is expounded, and the disturbance can be divided into error disturbance and grid disturbance. According to the mechanism of the disturbance, a scheme combining DSOGI-PLL (Dual Second Order Generalized Integrator) and repetitive control internal model is proposed to suppress the SSO. For grid disturbance, the designed repetitive control internal model can eliminate the harmonics in the system. For error disturbance, DSOGI-PLL can eliminate the error of PLL output phase caused by grid voltage oscillation, and accurately lock the phase. The performance and robustness of the presented scheme are proved in time-domain simulations.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":428,"journal":{"name":"Solar Energy","volume":"296 ","pages":"Article 113579"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143931879","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Solar EnergyPub Date : 2025-05-10DOI: 10.1016/j.solener.2025.113524
Yinfeng Sun , Zhi Zhao , Mingzhi Lu , Rong Li
{"title":"Coordinated fault ride-through strategy for DC faults of photovoltaic grid-connected MMC-HVDC systems","authors":"Yinfeng Sun , Zhi Zhao , Mingzhi Lu , Rong Li","doi":"10.1016/j.solener.2025.113524","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.solener.2025.113524","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>To cut fossil fuel use, using DC overhead line in large-scale photovoltaic (PV) grid-connected modular multilevel converter-high voltage direct current (MMC-HVDC) systems is a future trend. But DC overhead line short-circuit faults are likely and can damage devices. First, models for the system and PV station are set up in this paper. Second, for a large-capacity PV bipolar MMC-HVDC system, a unipolar short-circuit grounding fault of DC overhead line is analyzed. Finally, a coordinated DC fault ride-through control strategy considering direct current circuit breaker (DCCB), converter station control, and PV power output is proposed. When a fault occurs, the non-fault pole converter station keeps power transmission. The unbalanced power is calculated. By using PV array power output, the DC line voltage is optimized and PV power output reduced. To handle instantaneous failures, load reduction of PV station and converter station power feed-forward incremental control are proposed to maintain system power balance and grid connection stability. PSCAD/EMTDC simulation shows the method effectively maintains PV station and MMC-HVDC system operation and achieves fault ride-through.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":428,"journal":{"name":"Solar Energy","volume":"296 ","pages":"Article 113524"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143928725","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Solar EnergyPub Date : 2025-05-10DOI: 10.1016/j.solener.2025.113589
Solmaz Musazad , Somaiyeh Allahyari , Mehdi Zarei , Mika Sillanpää
{"title":"Multi-functional CNT-BiOBr/cellulose acetate composite membrane with strong photocatalytic activity and self-cleaning performance for the purification of oily wastewater under simulated solar light","authors":"Solmaz Musazad , Somaiyeh Allahyari , Mehdi Zarei , Mika Sillanpää","doi":"10.1016/j.solener.2025.113589","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.solener.2025.113589","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>BiOBr and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were used to form a heterojunction, which was subsequently immobilized within a cellulose acetate (CA) membrane to facilitate the separation of oil emulsions from water under visible light irradiation. The resulting composite exhibited remarkable super-hydrophilicity and high oil hydrophobicity. The incorporation of nanoparticles into the CA membrane enhanced its porosity, with the CNT-BiOBr/CA composite achieving the highest porosity value of 0.61. UV–Vis DRS analysis demonstrated that the CNT-BiOBr/CA composite exhibited superior light absorption and reduced electron-hole recombination compared to both CNT/CA and BiOBr/CA membranes. This improvement is attributed to the formation of the heterojunction, which resulted in enhanced photocatalytic efficiency. Filtration experiments using 1 % (v/v) oil-in-water emulsions indicated that the permeate flux through the CNT-BiOBr/CA membrane was significantly higher when the lamp was illuminated, reaching a peak flux of 28.63 L/m<sup>2</sup>·h. The CNT-BiOBr/CA membrane also demonstrated self-cleaning properties, reducing the irreversible fouling ratio to 1.75 % under lamp-on conditions, which contributed to a flux recovery ratio of 98.24 % and a separation efficiency of 97.8 %. Additionally, the stability of the CNT-BiOBr/CA membrane was sustained over four consecutive uses, and it followed first-order kinetics for the degradation of oil droplets during photocatalysis.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":428,"journal":{"name":"Solar Energy","volume":"296 ","pages":"Article 113589"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143928726","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}