All-weather photothermal-electric conversion system with multimodal modulation based on an MXene patterned self-adaptive absorber/emitter
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Addressing the critical need for 24-hour electricity generation without energy storage, this study presents an MXene-patterned self-adaptive absorber/emitter (MX-SAAE) integrated with VO 2 phase-change material for efficient all-weather photothermal-electric power generation. Patterned MXene boosts broadband solar absorption through localized surface plasmon resonance, while VO 2 drives self-adaptive spectral transitions via the atmospheric window. The system dynamically switches between daytime low-emittance (Low-e) mode and nighttime high-emittance (High-e) mode, enabling continuous operation. The multi-objective optimization of MX-SAAE yields Pareto solutions under different weights of the optimization objectives, which can provide a basis for objective trade-offs in different scenarios and requirements. The optimized MX-SAAE exhibits remarkable angular and polarization insensitivity, maintaining stable performance under incident angles up to 80°. Based on the photothermal-electric coupling cross-scale model established in this paper, daytime power density of 2508 mW/m 2 and nighttime output of 47 mW/m 2 can be achieved. The 24-hour real-time performance on typical dates confirmed the effectiveness of the proposed storage-free all-weather photothermal-electric conversion system, which provides a scalable off-grid energy harvesting platform.
Source: Optics Express
DOI: 10.1364/oe.579693
Authors: Wen-Wen Zhang, Wen-Zhi Wu
Language: English
Subfield: Civil and Structural Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,270
OpenAlex ID: W4416133129