Enhancing the thermal conductivity and stability of cuprous oxide nanofluids: Ribose-mediated single step chemical synthesis for solar energy applications

Abstract

The efficiency of photovoltaic (PV) panels can be compromised by rising temperatures, prompting extensive research into thermal management strategies aimed at maximizing power output. Recently, there has been growing interest in using nanofluids to enhance the cooling efficiency of photovoltaic thermoelectric generator (PV-TEG) systems compared to conventional water cooling. This underscores the potential of investigating innovative synthetic methods to improve the thermal conductivity and stability of nanofluids. We employed a simple straightforward method to synthesize cuprous oxide nanofluid. This solution-based technique constrains formation of cuprous oxide particles to the nanoscale dimensions using cetylammonium bromide as capping agent. Our investigation delved into the impact of various parameters on the formation and dispersion of nanoparticles within a base fluid comprised of a 1:1 mixture of water and ethylene glycol. The resulting nanofluid exhibited Newtonian behaviour and demonstrated remarkable stability of 9 months, accompanied by a notable increase in thermal conductivity upto 3.59 W m-1 K-1. This meticulous approach has proven to be not only straightforward and dependable but also efficient for the rapid synthesis of highly stable Newtonian nanofluids overcoming the complexities associated with traditional two-step processes and could be extended to other metal oxide nanofluids. Beyond its economic appeal, the nanofluid's improved thermal properties and stability position it for diverse applications requiring efficient heat transfer.