Topic: New Energy Surfaces for Solar Cells, Thermosolar Power, and Hydrogen Generation

The degradation of energy surfaces significantly affects the performance of systems that harvest, convert, or store energy, such as thin film solar cells, batteries, solar selective coatings, and bipolar plates. Energy surfaces, particularly at material interfaces, are critical to key processes such as charge transfer, catalysis, and energy conversion. Advances in materials, especially in the deposition and growth of new surfaces for energy applications, include innovations such as thin film deposition nanostructured oxides (e.g., ZnO, WO, and CdS), noble metal catalysts, and solar energy absorbers (e.g., multilayer oxynitrides and metal and non-metal dielectric absorbers). However, these surfaces are prone to degradation over time due to factors such as thermal stress and other degradation mechanisms that reduce system efficiency and lifespan. Therefore, understanding both the growth of these materials and methods to prevent degradation is essential for improving the stability and sustainability of energy technologies.

Scope of the Special Issue:
This Special Issue aims to showcase new developments around the degradation of energy surfaces, covering a broad spectrum of topics, including but not limited to:
● Development of new material surfaces used in hydrogen production;
● Advances in nano-multilayered materials, nanostructured oxide thin films and noble metal catalysts;
● Surface oxidation and metal degradation in gas turbines at high operating temperatures;
● Deposition and growth of new critical materials for fuel cells and their durability;
● Simulation of advanced surfaces for organic photovoltaics (OPV) and thin film photovoltaics;
● Surface degradation caused by high-temperature thermal cycling and long-term exposure to heat in thermosolar components;
● Prospects and future directions in solar cell surfaces and their degradation.

Photovoltaics, thermal storage, fuel cell, SOEC, surface degrade

31 Jul 2025