A disordered nanostructured surface for ultra-transparent, self-cleaning and durable photovoltaic glass

The persistent decline in photovoltaic efficiency caused by surface soiling represents a major obstacle to the reliable deployment of solar energy systems. While superhydrophobic surface provide a promising route to self-cleaning surfaces, their implementation on photovoltaic glass has been fundamentally constrained by the longstanding trade-off between optical transparency and surface roughness, as well as the reliance on high-temperature fabrication processes. Herein, we provide a feasible approach: optimizing optical, wettability, and mechanical properties simultaneously by designing the height of disordered nanopillar arrays. Unlike prior methods that rely on high-temperature metal dewetting (> 500 °C) or ordered nanostructures requiring expensive lithography, our disordered nanocolumn array (DCA) glass is fabricated via a scalable, substrate-independent route combining block-copolymer phase separation, flexible composite template replication, nanoimprint lithography, plasma etching, and fluorosilane modification. At a nanocolumn height of approximately 150 nm, the surface exhibits a transmittance above 95%, a water contact angle (CA) exceeding 155°, a roll-off angle (RA) as low as 7°. This critical aspect ratio stabilizes the Cassie wetting state while resisting external mechanical stress. This work not only presents a high-performance, durable, and transparent superhydrophobic glass, but also establishes a design paradigm based on geometry engineered disordered nanostructures for multifunctional protective surfaces. It provides the feasible way for more efficient and sustainable solar energy harvesting in real-world environments.