Synthesis and properties of Cerium-doped organic/silica xerogels: A potential UV filter for photovoltaic panels

Abstract

The UV-induced polymeric encapsulant degradation in the photovoltaic panel is a challenge in extending the operating lifetime of such devices. To overcome that, an anti-reflective coating material that blocks the UV incidence can be an alternative. In this sense, this work presents high optical quality GPTS/TEOS monolithic xerogels doped with cerium prepared by the sol–gel process. X-ray diffraction, thermal analysis, and infrared spectroscopy results reveal an amorphous hybrid structure stable with the dopant concentration, up to 1 wt%. The undoped matrix shows a wide transmission window, and the cerium addition results in a redshift of the cut-off edge, from ∼300 to 410 nm, and a slight reduction in reflectance. Moreover, all samples present a refractive index well matched with the ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) encapsulant, which minimizes reflectance losses. These results highlight the potential of the cerium-doped GPTS/TEOS system as a candidate for UV filter coating on photovoltaic panels.