Simple Design of a Porous Solar Evaporator for Salt-Free Desalination and Rapid Evaporation

Abstract

Solar-driven interfacial evaporation is considered to be one of the promising and efficient ways of producing clean water in recent years. However, it remains a challenge to develop solar evaporation devices with high solar evaporation rates and salt-free blocking properties. Here, a porous solar evaporator with directed water transport and salt-free desalination through excellent photothermal conversion and purposefully guided migration of the salt solution was developed. The designed porous photothermal sponge with the synergistic effect of MXene and polypyrrole can achieve evaporation rates of 1.47 and 2.27 kg m–2 h–1, respectively, in the capillary model and siphon model water-transporting solar evaporation devices. More interestingly, the designed zigzag-shaped device with an evaporation rate of 2.45 kg m–2 h–1 was achieved. In addition, the evaporator can operate stably under 9 h in the siphon model solar evaporation device and achieves the effect of salt-free desalination. The above design provides a good strategy for solar-powered desalination applications.

Dual-Effect Salt-Tolerant Slope-Suspended Solar Evaporators: High Evaporation Efficiency and Industrialized Implementation

“…The layer of water between the SHI-PPy fabric and the air reduces light reflection and enhances light absorption. 43 The high-efficiency light absorption and low reflectivity exhibited by the SHI-PPy fabrics can be attributed to the fact that the structured PPy NPs can realize multiple reflections and reuse of incident light. Meanwhile, the high-efficiency light absorption ability exhibited in the near-infrared region (800− 2500 nm) indicates that the SHI-PPy fabric has great potential for solar thermal energy conversion.…”

Multifunctional and asymmetrically superwettable Janus membrane for all-day freshwater harvesting

“…The photothermal evaporation materials also should have a good ability to transmit water to the evaporation interface. 19,20 Luckily, similar to the fog capture material, the Janus membrane with asymmetrically superwettable interfaces can satisfy the needs of photothermal evaporation materials except for the photothermal conversion properties. 21,22 Therefore, it is desirable but remains a great challenge to develop Janus membranes with asymmetrically superwettable interfaces, adequate pore sizes and good interface compatibility for allday freshwater harvesting.…”

Aerogels Based on MXene Nanosheet/Reduced Graphene Oxide Composites with Vertically Aligned Channel Structures for Solar-Driven Vapor Generation

“…Solar-to-thermal energy conversion technologies are attracting increasing attention due to abundant and sustainable solar energy. − Solar energy has the advantage of being potentially applicable to water heating, , electricity generation, , steam sterilization, wastewater purification, fuel production, and seawater desalination . Recently, vapor generation by harvesting solar energy for seawater desalination has received significant attention. − Light absorbers used to generate water vapor play a crucial role in seawater desalination.…”