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REVIEW article

Front. Energy Res.

Sec. Solar Energy

Volume 13 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fenrg.2025.1560718

Nanotechnology in Solar Energy: From Active Systems to Advanced Solar Cells

Provisionally accepted
  • Department of Engineering, Imam Ali University, Tehran, Iran

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Nanotechnology has arisen as a revolutionary technology, providing a diverse range of solutions to tackle energy-related difficulties. Nanotechnology allows for the creation of components and devices that are smaller than 100 nm, which in turn provides new opportunities for improving the efficiency of energy capture, storage, and transport. Through the process of nuclear fusion, the sun produces a vast quantity of energy on a daily basis, surpassing all the energy that humanity has ever harnessed throughout history. The worldwide technical capacity of solar energy significantly surpasses the current overall primary energy requirement. This review explores the role of nanomaterials in improving solar energy harvesting systems, including solar collectors, fuel cells, photocatalytic systems, and photovoltaic cells. Through a systematic review of peer-reviewed studies, key findings indicate that nanomaterials can enhance incident solar radiation absorption by up to nine times, leading to a 10% efficiency improvement in solar collectors compared to conventional designs. Additionally, advancements in third-generation solar cells demonstrate the potential of nanostructured materials in enhancing charge transport, light absorption, and costeffectiveness. The study further highlights existing challenges, such as the long-term stability of nanomaterials, environmental concerns, and economic barriers to large-scale implementation.Addressing these limitations through sustainable nanomaterial design and scalable production techniques will be essential for realizing the full potential of nanotechnology in solar energy applications.

    Keywords: Solar Energy, Nanotechnology, energy efficiency, Photovoltaic cells, Renewable Energy

    Received: 14 Jan 2025; Accepted: 28 Mar 2025.

    Copyright: © 2025 Farajollahi. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: AmirHamzeh Farajollahi, Department of Engineering, Imam Ali University, Tehran, Iran

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

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