Yingzheng Yuan , Yueyuan Zhang , Shijie Shi , Xiaoyang Wang , Huijie Guo , Weiguan Zhou , Tanghan Wu , Hao Lu , Ziye Ling
{"title":"Research progress on phase change heat storage exchangers for solar thermal utilization","authors":"Yingzheng Yuan , Yueyuan Zhang , Shijie Shi , Xiaoyang Wang , Huijie Guo , Weiguan Zhou , Tanghan Wu , Hao Lu , Ziye Ling","doi":"10.1016/j.solmat.2025.113987","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.solmat.2025.113987","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Phase change materials (PCMs) leverage their high energy density and thermal stability advantages in solar thermal storage systems to effectively address the temporal and spatial mismatch between energy supply and demand. This paper presents a systematic review of the critical role of PCMs in solar energy utilization, with a focus on the structural classification of thermal storage exchangers (e.g., shell-and-tube, plate, finned tube, and spiral tube types). It also evaluates the thermal conductivity efficiency and scalability potential of various structures. In order to address the challenge of PCMs' inherently low thermal conductivity, the study proposes strategies to enhance thermal response speed by incorporating high-thermal-conductivity fillers (such as expanded graphite and nanoparticles) and optimizing encapsulation techniques (such as microencapsulation). Furthermore, it delves into the potential of structural optimizations, such as the incorporation of irregular fins and spiral channels, to enhance the efficacy of heat exchange. Subsequent research endeavors should prioritize the development of novel high-performance PCMs, the conceptualization of intelligent thermal management systems, and advancements in multi-energy complementary integration technologies. These efforts are crucial for propelling the commercial implementation of phase change thermal storage technology in domains such as solar building integration and industrial waste heat recovery.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":429,"journal":{"name":"Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells","volume":"295 ","pages":"Article 113987"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145217081","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Ultra-broadband metamaterial solar absorber based on resonant cylinder shell arrays","authors":"Zimeng Zhou , Jiu Hui Wu","doi":"10.1016/j.solmat.2025.113981","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.solmat.2025.113981","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The visible light spectrum is critical for solar energy utilization, while the infrared band is pivotal to thermal management. However, designing a broadband absorber capable of effectively capturing radiation across both these two bands remains challenging. In this paper, a composite metamaterial absorber (CMMA) is proposed to harvest broadband radiation with average absorptivity of 95.47 % across the ultraviolet–visible–infrared spectrum (0.2–20 μm). Additionally, it's revealed that this near-perfect absorption is enabled by the coupled excitation of surface plasmon resonance (SPR), cavity resonance (CR), and Fabry-Pérot (F-P) cavity effect through calculating effective impedance of the absorber and simulating the electromagnetic field and current distribution. Based on the energy efficiency formula, the absorber is validated to exhibit a high thermal emission efficiency exceeding 94 % within the temperature range of 1000–2500 K, along with high-efficiency solar energy capture capabilities. Furthermore, the CMMA is polarization-insensitive and supports large-angle incidence. These performance advantages render the proposed CMMA highly promising for military and civilian applications such as infrared detection, solar energy harvesting, and radiative thermal management.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":429,"journal":{"name":"Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells","volume":"295 ","pages":"Article 113981"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145217087","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Xueri Zhang , Qi Lei , Zhiyong Yuan , Xiaoqing Xi , Jinbing Zhang , Dongli Hu
{"title":"Liquid-phase sintered Si3N4 coatings for impurity suppression and performance enhancement in cast monocrystalline silicon","authors":"Xueri Zhang , Qi Lei , Zhiyong Yuan , Xiaoqing Xi , Jinbing Zhang , Dongli Hu","doi":"10.1016/j.solmat.2025.113986","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.solmat.2025.113986","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>A modified silicon nitride (Si<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub>) coating incorporating micro-silica powder was developed to suppress impurity diffusion in cast silicon during directional solidification. Through localized liquid-phase sintering, the coating achieved improved densification and controlled oxygen incorporation. Compared with conventional spray coatings, the optimized formulation reduced red-zone thickness by 20 %, decreased Fe concentration by 46 %, and maintained moderate oxygen levels. These improvements led to enhanced minority carrier lifetime and increased solar cell conversion efficiency from 22.65 % to 23.06 %. Microstructural analysis confirmed better pore closure and melt corrosion resistance. This study presents a scalable coating strategy for producing high-quality silicon with improved photovoltaic performance.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":429,"journal":{"name":"Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells","volume":"295 ","pages":"Article 113986"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145217086","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Jingyan Chen , Tarek O. Abdul Fattah , Anastasia Soeriyadi , Matthew Wright , Edris Khorani , Peter R. Wilshaw , John D. Murphy , Ruy S. Bonilla
{"title":"Enabling highly conductive charged oxide inversion layers through hot corona discharge","authors":"Jingyan Chen , Tarek O. Abdul Fattah , Anastasia Soeriyadi , Matthew Wright , Edris Khorani , Peter R. Wilshaw , John D. Murphy , Ruy S. Bonilla","doi":"10.1016/j.solmat.2025.113930","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.solmat.2025.113930","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Silicon solar cell manufacturing is dominated by cell architectures that rely on a high-temperature energy-intensive diffusion process to introduce dopants. Such doped layers lead to substantial Auger recombination losses. Charged oxide inversion layer (COIL) solar cells eliminate the need for high-temperature diffusion and highly doped surface layers by incorporating charge in a surface dielectric to form an inversion layer emitter beneath the semiconductor-dielectric interface. The success of the COIL design hinges on achieving a sufficiently high dielectric charge to produce highly conductive inversion-layer emitters. In this work, we develop a new “hot-corona discharge” technique to facilitate the charge drive-in via a process integrating corona charging and thermal annealing into a single step. We show the process is effective in creating an <em>n-</em>type inversion layer on <em>p</em>-type silicon wafers, yielding increases in carrier lifetime and reductions in emitter sheet resistance. The temperature (330–430 <sup>°</sup>C) and time (30–1020 s) dependence of this new hot-corona approach is studied, demonstrating careful control over charge density. By optimising the process against temperature and ion drive-in cycles, we achieve the highest positive charge concentration reported on a SiO<sub>2</sub>/Si interface of >4.0 × 10<sup>13</sup> q/cm<sup>2</sup>. With the ability to incorporate such high charge density, a low sheet resistance and highly conductive inversion layer can be formed. This represents a significant step forward in the attempt to replace the diffused emitter technology with a low-temperature alternative, enabling high-efficiency inversion-layer solar cells with reduced thermal budget and intrinsic losses.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":429,"journal":{"name":"Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells","volume":"295 ","pages":"Article 113930"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145217082","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Synergistic enhancement of thermal energy conversion in twin wedge solar stills using graphene nano-coated absorber and nano-composite PCM","authors":"Vijayakumar Rajendran , Wesley Jeevadason Aruldoss , Prashant A. Athavale , Ramanan Pichandi , N.P. Gopinath","doi":"10.1016/j.solmat.2025.113982","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.solmat.2025.113982","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Improving the thermal energy conversion efficiency of solar stills is still a key challenge to accelerating clean and sustainable desalination technologies to combat worldwide water scarcity. In this paper, an innovative Twin Wedge Solar Still (TWSS) design is experimentally investigated with two new modifications: (i) a graphene nanoplatelet (GNP)-coated absorber plate to increase solar absorption, and (ii) a mixed nano-composite phase change material (nPCM) based on aluminium oxide (Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>) and graphene oxide (GO) for enhanced thermal energy storage. This coupled combination has not been used previously for TWSS applications. The new system exhibits improved performance by enhancing solar absorptivity, thermal conductivity, and storage capacity, resulting in a cumulative productivity of 6.133 L/m<sup>2</sup>/day. The developed modified system shows 139.4 %, 153.2 %, and 230.7 % greater productivity, energy efficiency, and exergy efficiency compared to the existing TWSS. The evaporative heat transfer rate becomes almost double (235.89 W/m<sup>2</sup>K compared to 99.15 W/m<sup>2</sup>K), and the economic cost of distilled water decreases to $0.012/L from $0.024/L for the traditional system. The outcomes verify that the integration of the proposed GNP-coated absorber and GO-Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>-based nPCM provides a new and economical path to enhance solar desalination performance, making it a promising strategy for sustainable freshwater production.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":429,"journal":{"name":"Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells","volume":"295 ","pages":"Article 113982"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145155100","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"In-situ grown benzotrithiophene-containing covalent organic framework film for dual-responsive visible-to-near infrared electrochromic and bright-to-quenched electrofluorochromic smart windows","authors":"Bhushan Kishor Nandre , Sayan Halder , Sasanka Dalapati , Asim Bhaumik , Chanchal Chakraborty","doi":"10.1016/j.solmat.2025.113979","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.solmat.2025.113979","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) have attracted massive interest because of their exceptional mechanical robustness, high surface area, tunable porosity, and intrinsic crystallinity, making them ideal for electrochemical devices. Precisely, low bandgap redox active COFs with π-conjugation and a donor-acceptor (D-A) nature are suitable for electrochromism across the visible to near-infrared (NIR) range. Herein, a conjugated D-A type COF, BTTh-Tz-COF, was synthesized via a one-pot condensation reaction and grown <em>in-situ</em> thin film on indium tin oxide (ITO)-coated glass, overcoming the typical limitations of <em>ex-situ</em> COF film formation. Powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) exposed high crystallinity of BTTh-Tz-COF with a sharp peak at 2θ = 4.32°, and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) analysis confirmed a surface area of 819 m<sup>2</sup>/g with a microporous nature. The fabricated solid-state electrochromic device (ECD) exhibited reversible multicolor EC response, covering yellow to orange to reddish-brown under +1.7 V and +2.5 V, attributed to oxidation of imine and BTTh moieties. The ECD revealed high coloration efficiencies of 768.4 cm<sup>2</sup>/C at 700 nm and 491.7 cm<sup>2</sup>/C at 1000 nm, and fast switching (∼5 s) in both visible and NIR ranges. Furthermore, the BTTh-Tz-COF film efficiently blocked 67 % of solar irradiation and disclosed low power consumption, making it appropriate for smart window applications. The device also showed reversible electrofluorochromism (EFC), where bright yellow fluorescence of the film was quenched at +2.5 V and recovered at −0.9 V. This study demonstrates the development of a robust, dual-functional COF film for next-generation energy-efficient EC and EFC smart windows.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":429,"journal":{"name":"Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells","volume":"295 ","pages":"Article 113979"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145155099","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Electron beam crosslinked PVA/PAM/GO/SA hydrogel for high-efficiency solar desalination: Synergistic design and performance optimization","authors":"Mitra Tavakoli, Fatemeh Zare","doi":"10.1016/j.solmat.2025.113980","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.solmat.2025.113980","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>To address the global freshwater scarcity challenge, this study presents a photothermal hydrogel composite composed of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), polyacrylamide (PAM), graphene oxide (GO), and silica aerogel (SA), fabricated using electron-beam (e-beam) crosslinking as a clean and additive-free process. Material characterization methods, including Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), contact angle analysis, swelling behavior, and compressive loading, demonstrated the formation of a structurally resilient, anisotropic hydrogel with uniform nanomaterial dispersion and an asymmetric wettability gradient. Response surface methodology (RSM) was employed to maximize the evaporation rates in saline systems by optimizing the concentration of GO and SA in the second cycle under saline conditions. The optimized condition with 0.3 % (w/v) GO and 1.4 % (w/v) SA delivered one-sun–normalized evaporation rates of 1.54 ± 0.02 kgm<sup>−2</sup>h<sup>−1</sup> in the distilled water and 1.50 ± 0.03 kg m<sup>−2</sup>h<sup>−1</sup> in the saline water under ambient sunlight. GO incorporation enhanced photothermal absorption and improved the mechanical stability of the hydrogel matrix, while SA provided buoyancy and helped limit heat loss. The hydrogel retained structural strength under load, demonstrated high water uptake, and enabled sustained surface heating. These synergistic features supported stable and efficient solar-driven interfacial evaporation. E-beam irradiation is a scalable and green crosslinking process that avoids toxic chemical additives required in conventional chemical crosslinkers. This work demonstrates a practical, stable, lightweight, high efficiency polymer hydrogel platform for solar desalination, supporting deployment in energy-limited settings and contributing to sustainable freshwater production.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":429,"journal":{"name":"Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells","volume":"295 ","pages":"Article 113980"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145155091","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Tristan Gageot , Frédéric Jay , Jordi Veirman , David Muñoz-Rojas
{"title":"Using thin AZO layers coupled with SiNx:H as a way to decrease Indium consumption in SHJ cells and modules","authors":"Tristan Gageot , Frédéric Jay , Jordi Veirman , David Muñoz-Rojas","doi":"10.1016/j.solmat.2025.113977","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.solmat.2025.113977","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In this work, we investigate the possibility of replacing Indium-rich transparent conductive oxides (TCO) with previously untested thin aluminum-doped zinc oxide (AZO) layers (50–30 nm) as a way to remove Indium in SHJ solar cells and modules. In order to maintain optical properties and possibly to increase the damp heat reliability of the modules using those thin AZO layers, optically optimized SiN<sub>x</sub>:H capping layers were used. The AZO deposition conditions were fine-tuned (varying the gas flows), and the best AZO/SiN<sub>x</sub>:H combinations were then selected based on the output of optical simulations, fed with characterization results. On the front side, when deposited on the classical (n) a-Si:H selective layers, the thinner AZO layers yielded lower FF due to higher contact resistivity as well as higher R<sub>sheet</sub>. However, when deposited on (n) nc-Si:H, the contact resistivity was drastically lowered, allowing cells with 30 nm AZO layers to achieve comparable efficiencies as the cells incorporating ITO layers both at cell (22.88 %) and module (21.67 %) scale. On the rear side, the AZO layers yielded −0.5 %<sub>abs</sub> efficiency losses compared to the reference cells, due to both FF and J<sub>sc</sub> losses. Reliability tests in damp heat environment (up to 1000 h) were conducted and showed that on the front side, thinner AZO layers show increased sensibility to humidity, and that SiN<sub>x</sub>:H layers increase the degradation. On the rear side, AZO layers suffer less from humidity degradation, and the resistance is enhanced with a 10 nm ITO capping layer.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":429,"journal":{"name":"Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells","volume":"295 ","pages":"Article 113977"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145119324","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Maryam Nooman AlMallahi , Sara Maen Asaad , Mohamed Dafalla , Yaser Al Swailmeen , Abrar Inayat , Mohamed Y.E. Selim , Mahmoud Elgendi
{"title":"Pyrolyzed moringa seed-based photothermal absorber for enhanced solar interfacial evaporation","authors":"Maryam Nooman AlMallahi , Sara Maen Asaad , Mohamed Dafalla , Yaser Al Swailmeen , Abrar Inayat , Mohamed Y.E. Selim , Mahmoud Elgendi","doi":"10.1016/j.solmat.2025.113965","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.solmat.2025.113965","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Developing cost-effective photothermal materials for solar-driven water evaporation is essential for attaining high evaporation rates with simplicity and affordability, particularly in arid regions. However, the preparation of photothermal materials involves the use of costly materials and complex synthesis procedures, which may limit scalability. This study presents a twofold objective: the use of biomass-based materials as photothermal absorbers and a straightforward preparation method that eliminates the need for costly and complex processes.</div><div>The biochar production was optimized at 41.4 % yield when pyrolyzed at 300 °C for 60 min.</div><div>The resulting biochar moringa seeds (BMS) were used as a photothermal absorber in the interfacial solar evaporation system. BMS demonstrated impressive water evaporation performance, achieving an evaporation rate of 6.72 kg m<sup>−2</sup> h<sup>−1</sup> at steady state under infrared light, which represents a 72.75 % improvement compared to untreated cotton (UC). Meanwhile, the moringa seed (MS) and UC cases demonstrated evaporation rates of 4.24 and 3.89 kg m<sup>−2</sup> h<sup>−1</sup> at steady state, respectively. In terms of thermal performance, the dry BMS case reached a temperature peak of ∼134 °C within 6 min, but the wet BMS reached ∼78.5 °C after 20 min of illumination. This study underscores a sustainable and efficient approach to solar-driven water evaporation by utilizing biomass materials, offering practical applications in water-scarce and arid regions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":429,"journal":{"name":"Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells","volume":"295 ","pages":"Article 113965"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145119325","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Hamza El-Hosainy , Mohamed Esmat , Said El-Sheikh , Amer Hakki , Esmail Doustkhah , Rafat Tahawy , Adel A. Ismail , Haitham M. El-Bery , Wipakorn Jevasuwan , Naoki Fukata , Yusuke Ide , Maged El-Kemary , Detlef Bahnemann
{"title":"Synergistic effect of oxygen vacancies and plasmonic Au nanoparticles in anatase-brookite TiO2 for efficient solar-driven 2-methylbenzimidazole and hydrogen Co-production","authors":"Hamza El-Hosainy , Mohamed Esmat , Said El-Sheikh , Amer Hakki , Esmail Doustkhah , Rafat Tahawy , Adel A. Ismail , Haitham M. El-Bery , Wipakorn Jevasuwan , Naoki Fukata , Yusuke Ide , Maged El-Kemary , Detlef Bahnemann","doi":"10.1016/j.solmat.2025.113973","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.solmat.2025.113973","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In this study, TiO<sub>2</sub> heterostructures with anatase and brookite phases, as well as oxygen vacancies, were synthesized using a modified sol-gel method and a heat treatment process. Subsequently, Au nanoparticles (Au NPs) were deposited onto TiO<sub>2</sub> through photo-deposition. Detailed structural and chemical analyses verified the successful creation of anatase-brookite phases, efficient incorporation of Au NPs, and strong interactions between the Au NPs and the oxygen vacancies on the TiO<sub>2</sub> surface. Spectroscopic analysis revealed the presence of localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) from the Au NPs, indicating enhanced light absorption properties. The photocatalytic efficiency of the Au-TiO<sub>2</sub> composites was evaluated under solar light irradiation for the conversion of o-phenylenediamine to 2-methylbenzimidazole and hydrogen (H<sub>2</sub>) production. Notably, the 2 % Au-TiO<sub>2</sub> catalyst achieved a remarkable 99.7 % conversion rate of o-phenylenediamine, with 90 % selectivity toward 2-methylbenzimidazole and the highest H<sub>2</sub> production rate within 9 h, significantly outperforming 2 % Au/UV100 (commercial TiO<sub>2</sub>), 2 % Pd/TiO<sub>2</sub>, and pure TiO<sub>2</sub>. This enhanced photocatalytic performance is attributed to increased surface acidity (from both Lewis and Brønsted acid sites), efficient charge separation, increased photocurrent, reduced charge transfer resistance and the synergistic interactions between Au NPs and surface oxygen vacancies in TiO<sub>2</sub>. These findings highlight the potential of Au-TiO<sub>2</sub> heterostructures for advancing solar-driven catalytic applications, promoting both clean energy generation and efficient organic transformations.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":429,"journal":{"name":"Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells","volume":"295 ","pages":"Article 113973"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145119323","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}