Resilient biomass-derived hydrogel with tailored topography for highly efficient and long-term solar evaporation of high-salinity brine

Abstract

Solar-driven steam generation is an emerging, attractive, and sustainable technology for potential seawater desalination and wastewater purification. Despite the tremendous progress to date, some technological gaps still remain such as...

Recent developments of hydrogel based solar water purification technology

“…Combing with a reasonable light path and design, the evaporation rate of these materials can reach 3.86 kg m -2 h -1 , and the energy conversion efficiency is as high as 92%. 84 Using biochar or polymer as the precursor can reduce fabrication costs 91 or make the derived carbide more design-oriented. 35 Different from amorphous carbon, the photothermal conversion effect of crystalline carbon (graphene and highly graphitized carbon materials) arises from the conjugated π bonds.…”

“…Carbon-based materials have been used as solar absorbers in various studies in recent years, owing to their excellent light absorption over a broad spectrum, ease of preparation, abundance and low cost. Carbon-based materials include activated carbon, 83–86 polymer 76,87–90 or biomass 82,91–95 derived carbide, carbon black 96–101 and various amorphous carbon materials and highly graphitized carbon materials, such as graphene, 56,59,63,74,77,102–122 carbon nanotubes (CNTs) 27,123–130 and their derivatives.…”

“…Combining with a reasonable light path and design, the evaporation rate of these materials can reach 3.86 kg m −2 h −1 , and the energy conversion efficiency is as high as 92%. 84 Using biochar or polymer as the precursor can reduce fabrication costs 91 or make the derived carbide more design-oriented. 35…”

Recovered Energy from Salinity Gradients Utilizing Various Poly(Acrylic Acid)-Based Hydrogels

“…Drawbacks of chemical hydrogels, in terms of mechanical properties, have been circumvented by adding nanoparticles to the polymer network or by utilizing double- or semi-interpenetrating networks [ 44 , 45 , 46 , 47 , 48 , 49 ]. The salinity responsiveness also makes hydrogels interesting for other applications such as desalination of fresh water from seawater [ 50 , 51 ], and separating various types of oil and aqueous solutions over a wide range of salinities [ 52 ].…”

A facile approach to synthesize CdS–attapulgite as a photocatalyst for reduction reactions in water

“…The pollutants (e.g., organic molecules, petroleum, and heavy metal ions) being intemperately discharged to the water has become a top environmental issue. [1][2][3][4][5][6][7] For example, pnitrophenol (p-NP) is known as one of the pernicious contaminants among the organic pollutants. It is a menace to organisms at lower concentrations owing to its toxicity, carcinogenic, and mutagenic properties.…”