Scientists have copied the anti-reflective coating from roses. It can increase the efficiency of solar panels by 10%

The Phytonics business of the German Institute of Technology Karlsruhe (KIT) has demonstrated an effective anti-reflective coating that can be widely used in all areas of human activity. In the case of solar panels, for example, a new coating increases the efficiency of energy collection by up to 10%, regardless of the angle of illumination, and such a coating costs a penny.

On the left is a conventional solar panel, on the right is a panel covered with a new anti-reflective film. Image source: Andrea Fabry; Editing by Phytonics

For many millions of years of evolution, plants have optimally adapted to interact with light. This is especially important for plants with flowers, the pollination of which depends on the conspicuity of the color. Roses in this regard are extremely characteristic, showing at the same time a matte, velvety and rich color. The study of rose petals under a scanning electron microscope showed that the surface of the petals is densely covered with ribbed nanostructures. These structures channel nearly all of the incident sunlight into the petal cells, reflecting a single pure color that matches the flower variety.

After seven years of research, the anti-reflective coating peeped from roses has been embodied in Phytonics anti-reflective film. Thanks to the combination of micro-and nanostructures, it reproduces the epidermis of rose petals over a large area. Film suppresses reflection almost completely for all wavelengths and angles of incidence of light. This makes it much better than conventional anti-reflective coatings. In particular, as mentioned above, Phytonics film increases the power of solar modules by up to 10%.

But such a film will find application not only in solar energy. Posters, display panels, road signs, furniture, packaging, building facades and many other products and structures also benefit from the new development. The film provides an anti-reflective coating for all types of surfaces of any curvature and gives them a noble velvety look.

In addition, Phytonics film is dirt-repellent and highly resistant to environmental influences such as UV radiation, moisture and temperature fluctuations. It is produced using an economical roll-to-roll method and can be applied to all types of materials using standard lamination processes. It will be interesting to see all this in practice. The development is completely ready for implementation in production.