Environmentally sustainable electroplating of selective cobalt-chromium coating on stainless steel for efficient solar collectors

Half of today's global energy consumption is in the form heating and cooling. Solar collectors are most promising sustainable alternative to fossil fuels this sector. The important component a solar collector receiver, which by use selective surface absorbs converts irradiance thermal energy. Herein, novel for low-to mid-temperature developed, studied presented. produced electroplating cobalt-chromium coating on stainless steel substrate using an electrolyte based deep eutectic solvent. Our method makes trivalent instead traditionally used hexavalent chromium, significantly reduces health-related issues it more environmentally benign. We obtain chromium doped cobalt where exhibits absorptance emittance 0.96 0.14, respectively, giving solar-to-thermal efficiency 0.95. An observed loss optical efficiency, shown correlate oxidation metallic Co3O4 at elevated temperatures. further show that can be mitigated dip-coating protective silica top coating, concurrently improves selectivity surface. present efficient, cheap, scalable, easy produce sustainably, making competitive industry standards. foresee our will have impact advancement improved collectors, assisting faster transition towards society.