Doctoral researcher Hamidreza Daghigh Shirazi is adding functionalities to cellulose - based materials, paving the way to create self-cleaning and transparent components to replace glass in solarpanels. In fact, glass is surprisingly difficult to recycle in solar panels and is very energy-intensive to produce.
The alternative? A cellulose-based solution that is water-repellent and with high-diffusive light transmittance. This solution is bio-inspired by a wide variety of plants like Lotus, Leek, or rice leaf where the surface structure is very effective at repelling water. In these plants, rainwater can become an effective cleaning medium thanks to their superhydrophobic properties.
Additionally, the optical properties of cellulose-based substrates can be modified to minimize reflection and manage scattering of light, providing a “light trapping” effect to increase solar panel performance.
The research is showcasing cellulose-based products as a potential alternative to current solutions.
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