Integrating photothermal CuS-nanowire meshes with thermoelectric modules for efficient solar energy conversion

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.