Single-shot production of Janus graphene thin film for solar steam generation with 94.5% efficiency

Lin, Han; Lin, Keng‐Te; Mesa, David; Yang, Guoliang; Guo, Chunsheng; Zhang, Huihui; Zhang, Jie; Fraser, Scott; Lau, Alan Kin Tak; Ma, Tianyi; Jia, Baohua

doi:10.1016/j.carbon.2022.07.030

Cited by 17 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 68 publications

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“…30,31 Essentially, the 2D-patterned porous surface further minimizes the outcoupling of reflected light to about one percent, resulting in the reduced Fresnel's reflections at the air−UV-LIG interface and leading to higher absorption and excellent photothermal property. 32,33 Furthermore, owing to its excellent photothermal property, the absorbed energy is efficiently converted into heat, leading to a maximum equilibrium temperature of more than 90 °C within 60 s. Unlike the reported LIG formation using an IR laser, 31,25 our proposed UV-LIG exhibits a small average pore size in the range of a few hundred nanometers, which can effectively reduce the reflection loss because of the textured surface and large effective surface area of graphene foam. 34,35 In addition, the smaller pore size can significantly improve thermal conductivity with minimal radiation loss.…”

Section: ■ Introductionmentioning

confidence: 92%

“…Our two-dimensional patterned UV-LIG absorbs more than 99% of the sunlight falling on its surface due to the extraordinary absorbing capability of graphene foam and the light-trapping ability of the structure. Inherently, the graphene lattice contains a large number of conjugated π-bonds having a high probability of excitation over an entire solar spectrum which makes the material a suitable broadband absorber. , Essentially, the 2D-patterned porous surface further minimizes the out-coupling of reflected light to about one percent, resulting in the reduced Fresnel’s reflections at the air–UV-LIG interface and leading to higher absorption and excellent photothermal property. , Furthermore, owing to its excellent photothermal property, the absorbed energy is efficiently converted into heat, leading to a maximum equilibrium temperature of more than 90 °C within 60 s. Unlike the reported LIG formation using an IR laser, , our proposed UV-LIG exhibits a small average pore size in the range of a few hundred nanometers, which can effectively reduce the reflection loss because of the textured surface and large effective surface area of graphene foam. , In addition, the smaller pore size can significantly improve thermal conductivity with minimal radiation loss. Further, we have coupled the excellent light absorption and photothermal properties of structured UV-LIG with a commercially available thermoelectric generator to harness solar power more efficiently.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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UV-LIG-Based Perfect Broadband Absorber for Solar Thermoelectric Generation

Devinder

Vishwakarma

Joseph

et al. 2023

ACS Appl. Energy Mater.

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Thermoelectric technology is gaining paramount importance for solar energy conversion and electricity production to increase green energy resources with high efficiency. An enormous amount of research is being carried out for engineering various solar absorbers using tailored materials and structures for solar energy harvesting. However, the methods to achieve cost-effective light absorbers are still challenging. Here we present a perfect broadband solar absorber for efficient photothermal conversion of sunlight employing a low-cost ultraviolet laser-induced graphene (UV-LIG) prepared on a polymer material using the conventional direct laser writing method. Recently the LIG generation employing the direct laser writing method has been recognized as a straightforward and low-cost technique to generate graphene foam. We have patterned the UV-LIG to produce a two-dimensional grid pattern to limit the reflection losses. The resulting UV-LIG surface exhibits very high absorption (>99%) for the entire spectral range of sunlight. Significantly, the absorber attains a temperature of 90.4 °C under 1 sun irradiation within a response time of less than 60 s. Further, we have exploited the extraordinary photothermal property of the patterned UV-LIG together with a commercially available thermoelectric generator (TEG) to make a solar thermoelectric generator (STEG) device with excellent output performance. Our investigation perceived that the structured UV-LIG absorber-based STEG has excellent power generation capability compared to the STEGs with other absorbing materials. Remarkably, we could achieve an output voltage of 273.9 mV under 1 sun irradiation, one of the highest among the recent STEGs, primarily due to the enhanced absorption of absorbing material. These results suggest that the proposed versatile and robust solar energy harvesting technology can be employed for solar–thermoelectric conversion systems.

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Section: ■ Introductionmentioning

confidence: 92%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

UV-LIG-Based Perfect Broadband Absorber for Solar Thermoelectric Generation

Devinder

Vishwakarma

Joseph

et al. 2023

ACS Appl. Energy Mater.

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“…Recently, researchers have devoted to improving the water treatment performance of membranes, e.g., a single Janus absorber under solar irradiation achieved a stable water production (2.054 kg/ m 2 /h). 60 GO-based channels dominated by physical sieving and electrostatic interactions exhibit ultrahigh water permeability (70 ± 12 L/m 2 /h/bar), while the salt rejection performance depends on the size of hydrated ions. 61 Additionally, although some complex experimental processes improve both water permeability (9.1−17.4 L/m 2 /h) and salt rejection (52.4−78.3%), these require additional energy consumption such as external voltage.…”

Section: Effect Of Channel Geometrymentioning

confidence: 99%

Desalination Performance in Janus Graphene Oxide Channels: Geometric Asymmetry vs Charge Polarity

Li,

Zhang,

2024

ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces

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Improving the desalination performance of membranes is always in the spotlight of scientific research; however, Janus channels with polarized surface charge as nanofiltration membranes are still unexplored. In this work, using molecular dynamics simulations, we demonstrate that Janus graphene oxide (GO) channels with appropriate geometry and surface charge can serve as highly efficient nanofiltration membranes. We observe that the water permeability of symmetric Janus GO channels is significantly superior to that of asymmetric channels without sacrificing much ion rejection, owing to weakened ion blockage and electrostatic effects. Furthermore, in symmetric Janus GO channels, the transport of water and ions is sensitive to the charge polarity of the channel inner surface, which is realized by tuning the ratio of cationic and anionic functionalization. Specifically, with the increase in cationic functionalization, the water flux decreases monotonously, while ion rejection displays an interesting maximum behavior that indicates desalination optimization. Moreover, the trade-off between water permeability and ion rejection suggests that the Janus GO channels have an excellent desalination potential and are highly tunable according to the specific water treatment requirements. Our work sheds light on the key role of channel geometry and charge polarity in the desalination performance of Janus GO channels, which paves the way for the design of novel desalination devices.

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“…and has demonstrated remarkable evaporation performance in previous studies. [31][32][33][34][35][36] In addition to the different types of photothermal materials, the structural design of current ISSGs also poses common challenges that significantly impact their evaporation rate and efficiency. First, the surfaces of most ISSGs are typically planar, resulting in lower light absorption.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Lotus Seedpods‐Inspired Interfacial Solar Steam Generator with Outstanding Salt Tolerance and Mechanical Properties for Efficient and Stable Seawater Desalination

Ma,

Yu,

et al. 2023

Small

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Interfacial solar steam generators (ISSGs) can capture solar energy and concentrate the heat at the gas–liquid interface, resulting in efficient water evaporation. However, traditional ISSGs have limitations in long‐term seawater desalination processes, such as limited light absorption area, slow water transport speed, severe surface salt accumulation, and weak mechanical performance. Inspired by lotus seedpods, a novel ISSG (rGO‐SA‐PSF) is developed by treating a 3D warp‐knitted spacer fabric with plasma (PSF) and combining it with sodium alginate (SA) and reduces graphene oxide (rGO). The rGO‐SA‐PSF utilizes a core‐suction effect to achieve rapid water pumping and employs aerogel to encapsulate the plasma‐treated spacer yarns to create the lotus seedpod‐inspired hydrophilic stems, innovatively constructing multiple directional water transport channels. Simultaneously, the large holes of rGO‐SA‐PSF on the upper layer form lotus seedpod‐inspired head concave holes, enabling efficient light capture. Under 1 kW m−2 illumination, rGO‐SA‐PSF exhibits a rapid evaporation rate of 1.85 kg m−2 h−1, with an efficiency of 96.4%. Additionally, it shows superior salt tolerance (with no salt accumulation during continuous evaporation for 10 h in 10% brine) and self‐desalination performance during long‐term seawater desalination processes. This biomimetic ISSG offers a promising solution for efficient and stable seawater desalination and wastewater purification.

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Single-shot production of Janus graphene thin film for solar steam generation with 94.5% efficiency

Cited by 17 publications

References 68 publications

UV-LIG-Based Perfect Broadband Absorber for Solar Thermoelectric Generation

UV-LIG-Based Perfect Broadband Absorber for Solar Thermoelectric Generation

Desalination Performance in Janus Graphene Oxide Channels: Geometric Asymmetry vs Charge Polarity

A Lotus Seedpods‐Inspired Interfacial Solar Steam Generator with Outstanding Salt Tolerance and Mechanical Properties for Efficient and Stable Seawater Desalination

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