Advanced Materials for Solar Energy Conversion and Utilization

Solar energy technologies rely on a common foundation of functional materials engineered to capture, convert, or manage sunlight, whether for direct electricity generation, thermal energy collection, photocatalytic reactions, or passive energy management in buildings. Advances in thin-film deposition, materials characterization, and device simulation continue to drive improvements across these applications, while shared materials challenges, such as optical and electrical property control, interface engineering, and long-term stability, connect what might otherwise appear to be separate technology tracks.This Research Topic centers on the materials science underpinning solar energy conversion and utilization, organized around three connected pillars: (i) photovoltaic materials and devices, (ii) solar-driven photocatalysis and thermal energy systems, and (iii) functional coatings for solar energy management in the built environment. It welcomes contributions from researchers working across these pillars, and encourages studies that draw connections between them, such as shared materials platforms, characterization techniques, or device modeling approaches. We welcome original research articles, reviews, and perspective pieces, including the following subtopics, but are not limited to:Photovoltaic materials and devices- Experimental studies on the optical, electrical, and structural properties of thin films of transparent and conducting oxides (TCOs)- Perovskite thin films and solar cell devices- Silicon solar cells- Simulation of thin films and solar cell characteristics using SCAPS/SCOUTSolar-driven photocatalysis and thermal energy systems- Photocatalytic materials for water cleaning, self-cleaning surfaces, and hydrogen production- Solar thermal absorbers and solar thermal storageFunctional coatings for solar energy management- Smart window coatings for building energy efficiencyContributions addressing shared materials science across these pillars, such as common absorber, coating, or interface materials that serve more than one application, are especially encouraged. Studies that link structure, properties, and performance are also welcome, particularly those using advanced in situ/operando and multimodal characterization to follow how structural, chemical, electronic, and interfacial properties evolve under realistic solar-energy operating conditions, and those addressing long-term photochemical and thermal stability, degradation mechanisms, interface engineering, and scalable, sustainable materials processing. Together, these contributions will build a coherent picture of how advances in solar energy materials support more efficient, durable, and versatile technologies across generation, thermal utilization, and passive energy management. Topic editors: Maxwell Mageto, Nuru Mlyuka, Robinson Musembi Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/85859/advanced-materials-for-solar-energy-conversion-and-utilization