High-performance solution-processed plasmonic Ni nanochain-Al2O3 selective solar thermal absorbers

Selective solar thermal absorber coating is an important component of concentrated solar power systems. It maximizes the absorption of solar spectrum and minimizes thermal radiation losses in the mid-infrared regime. In this letter, we demonstrate a solution-processed plasmonic Ni nanochain-Al2O3 selective solar thermal absorber with a high solar absorptance >90% and a low thermal emittance loss <10%. Unlike conventional graded-index cermet coatings, the spectral selectivity is tailored by the lengths of Ni nanochains, elimating the requirement of costly vacuum deposition for stringent thickness control. These results open a path to utilize plasmonics for low-cost, high-performance solar thermal systems. (C) 2012 American Institute of Physics. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4766730]