Nature Communications
·
2024
·Vol. 15
·期 1
·1-9
·
IF 14.7
Chu Fuqiang,Li Shuxin,Zhao Canjun,Feng Yanhui,Lin Yukai,Wu Xiaomin,Yan Xiao,Miljkovic Nenad
Icing of seawater droplets is capable of causing catastrophic damage to vessels, buildings, and human life, yet it also holds great potential for enhancing applications such as droplet-based freeze desalination and anti-icing of sea sprays. While large-scale sea ice growth has been investigated for decades, the icing features of small salty droplets remain poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate that salty droplet icing is governed by salt rejection-accompanied ice crystal growth, resulting in freezing dynamics different from pure water. Aided by the observation of brine films emerging on top of frozen salty droplets, we propose a universal definition of freezing duration to quantify the icing rate of droplets having varying salt concentrations. Furthermore, we show that the morphology of frozen salty droplets is governed by ice crystals that sprout from the bottom of the brine film. These crystals grow until they pierce the free interface, which we term ice sprouting. We reveal that ice sprouting is controlled by condensation at the brine film free interface, a mechanism validated through molecular dynamics simulations. Our findings shed light on the distinct physics that govern salty droplet icing, knowledge that is essential for the development of related technologies.
研究领域:
物理化学
·
材料科学
✓ 已验证
DOI
高影响因子
DESALINATION
·
2024
·
IF 8.3
Xushuai Chen,Panpan Zhang,Xi Chen,Chunjia Luo,Min Chao,Luke Yan
Solar interfacial evaporation represents a highly promising approach for generating potable water from seawater utilizing clean, abundant, and sustainable solar energy. MXene-based materials exhibit outstanding photothermal conversion in desalination applications but face challenges in water transport and salt removal. Here, we introduce an effective MXene-charge gradient hydrogel (MCGH) evaporator that leverages the Donnan effect for salt rejection and internal osmotic pressure for water conveyance. The MCGH evaporator achieved 3.1 kg m −2 h −1 evaporation rate in 3.5 wt% NaCl under 1 sun irradiation. It also operates effectively in concentrated brines, reaching a notable 2.1 kg m −2 h −1 evaporation rate in 20 wt% NaCl solutions. This work introduces a new approach for salt-tolerant MXene photothermal evaporators, holding great promise for sustainable solar desalination applications.
研究领域:
材料科学
·
环境科学
·
能源科学
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
高影响因子
Journal of Materials Chemistry A
·
2022
·Vol. 10
·期 45
·24373-24380
·
IF 14.511
Zhi Yang,Lei Chen,Kaijie Yang,Cheng Chen,Yuyao Zhang,Shan Li,Chiheng Chu,Xiaoying Zhu,Baoliang Chen
Solar desalination is regarded as a promising technology for addressing severe freshwater scarcity, yet its long-term performance is challenged by salt fouling. Here, we develop an integrated solar evaporator with a hierarchy composed of a porous melamine foam core (MF) as a framework, black graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets as the solar absorption layer, and a positively charged poly(ethyleneimine) (PEI) shell as the salt rejecting layer. The solar evaporator equipped with a macro-, micro-, and nanoscale structure triggers multifunctional properties boosting efficiency and stability in desalinating multiple salinities. The solar evaporator achieves high energy efficiency in pure water and exhibits rather high efficiency under hypersaline conditions (82.8–93.4% in 0–25 wt% brine) compared with the state-of-the-art evaporators. The integral functions of the multiscale hierarchy bring about an optimized solar absorption rate (97.6%), improved photothermal conversion ability (25.0 °C), ultrahigh wettability (0.252 s), and excellent thermal insulation properties (0.0505 W m−1 K−1). The multilayer properties were achieved with a neutral core, negatively charged GO interlayer, and positively charged PEI outlayer benefiting salt rejection by the electrostatic repulsion forces. The multiscale structure improves the solar evaporation efficiency by regulating the states of water molecules. This integrated solar evaporator paves a new route for freshwater production from water sources of various salinities.
研究领域:
材料科学
·
环境科学
·
能源技术
✓ 已验证
DOI
高影响因子
Environmental Science-Nano
·
2022
·Vol. 9
·期 5
·1685-1698
·
IF 9.473
Muhammad Sultan Irshad,Xianbao Wang,Naila Arshad,M. Qasim Javed,Tariq Shamim,Zhenzhen Guo,Hong Rong Li,Jianying Wang,Tao Mei
The inadequate supply of water and energy in remote areas poses a risk to human life, which can be overcome via the use of portable solar-driven evaporation setups. However, they involve energy-intensive techniques and salt-accumulation is still a significant barrier for large-scale solar steam generation applications. Herein, we report the preparation of bifunctional in situ-polymerized MnO2@PPy nanocomposites (NCs) for nano-enabled solar evaporation followed by chemical convection and enhanced generation of photo-thermoelectricity. The novel evaporation structure design is composed of super hydrophilic MnO2@PPy NC/two-phase crafted polyurethane wicks for the convective transport of water and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) foam for excellent thermal management. This work presents, for the first time, real-time experimental and simulated proof of a salinity gradient through convective flow, which is a promising solution for synchronous salt-rejection and intensified interfacial heat accumulation (42.8 °C) to generate vapor under 1 kW m−2 at a rate of 1.69 kg m−2 h−1 and actually yield freshwater at a rate of 12.31 kg m−2 per day. The state-of-art photo-thermoelectric performances revealed an enhanced output power density (Pout ∼ 12.3 W m−2) and open circuit current (Iout ∼ 61.3 mA) under 1 kW m−2 solar irradiation, which are higher than that of other nanogenerators. More importantly, for the first time, numerical heat transfer and computational fluid dynamics (CFDs) simulations were successfully performed to study the salt-resistant mechanisms by computing the hot brine mass flux via chemical convection. Our work will further accelerate the distillate rate or zero liquid discharge phenomenon for the practical implementation of solar-driven seawater desalination and a clean source of energy generation.
研究领域:
材料科学
·
能源工程
·
环境科学
✓ 已验证
DOI
高影响因子
iScience
·
2023
·
IF 5.8
Yiru Su,Lang Liu,Xuechao Gao,Wei Yu,Ye Hong,Chao Liu
The solar-driven desalination is seen as a sustainable way to combat water scarcity. However, the solar steam generation efficiency has long been restricted by the high vaporization enthalpy of water and low energy density of natural sunlight. We introduced graphene oxide (GO) cross-linked with polyethyleneimine (PEI) as the photothermal material, with the enriched ammonic functional groups in modified GO membrane (GPM) activating water molecules to evaporate with much lower energy consumption. The vaporization enthalpy at the air-film interface is reduced up to 42% in GPM film by tuning the thermodynamic states of water. Consequently, GPM film enables a high evaporation rate of 2.48 kg m −2 h −1 with 95.7% energy conversion efficiency under 1 sun. With the aid of positive charges introduced by hydrolysis of PEI, the GPM exhibits excellent salt resistance and delivers an evaporation rate around 1.8 kg m −2 h −1 when treating 20 wt % NaCl solution.
研究领域:
材料科学
·
环境科学
·
能源工程
✓ 已验证
DOI
高影响因子
COLLOIDS AND SURFACES A-PHYSICOCHEMICAL AND ENGINEERING ASPECTS
·
2024
·
IF 4.9
Cun-Guang Liang,Akram Yasin,Linsheng Zhang,Peng Zhang,Kefa Zhou,Bin Hao,Hui Li,Peng-Cheng Ma
Solar-driven interfacial evaporation is a promising desalination technology to alleviate global water scarcity. However, the evaporation rate and long-term stability are still the key constraints on the generation of solar steam. Herein, we proposed the fabrication of a specific three-dimensional (3D) evaporator featured with multi-surface evaporation, which was realized by modifying basalt fiber with photothermal polypyrrole. The microstructure of the evaporator ensured all-around light capture capability. In view of the macrostructure, the fiber-based evaporator greatly enhanced the water transportation and suppress the heat conduction loss, consequently, an evaporation rate as high as 3.61 kg/m 2 /h was achieved under one sun irradiation, and this was well beyond 179% of the input solar energy limit. The unique 3D interconnected water transport channels ensured a steady water supply for desalination and facilitated the self-cleaning behavior of the evaporator. The Marangoni effect-driven salt rejection was proposed to interpret this observation and the results were further verified by a theoretical simulation. The concept of 3D solar evaporator design makes it possible to achieve efficient solar desalination while free of suffering salt blockage, which is expected to resolve difficult problems in the desalination industry by offering a scalable, efficient, and sustainable solution to the global demand for freshwater.
研究领域:
材料科学
·
环境科学
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
高影响因子
CARBOHYDRATE POLYMERS
·
2024
·
IF 10.7
Yi Hu,Jianing Xu,Yu Chen,Feifei Pei,Jiqing Lu,Jie Yan,Wanli Cheng,Dong Wang,Long Bai,Guangping Han,Yingying Zhang
High-performance solar interface evaporators provide a promising, sustainable, and cost-effective solution to the global freshwater crisis through seawater purification. However, achieving a delicate balance between maximizing the evaporation rate and ensuring continuous, stable, and durable operation presents a critical challenge. Herein, we present a biomimetic cellulose/polypyrrole-coated silica/graphene evaporator with self-assembled nanofiber networks and vertically aligned vessels for enhanced salt resistance. Asymmetric wettable surfaces are constructed by precisely controlling cellulose nanofibers surface siloxane groups via thermal actuation. The hydrophobic surface layer prevents salting accumulation, and the unique biomimetic cell structure of the lower hydrophilic layer acts as a stem for fast water transportation. Flexible vertical channels and interconnecting networks constructed of cellulose fibers with high porosity enable the simultaneous achievement of maximum solar absorption (light absorption efficiency: 96.34 %), exceptional mechanical properties and continuous water channels for mass transfer. The hierarchical structure and functional constituents contribute to an impressive evaporation rate of 2.78 kg m −2 h −1 under one-sun illumination. The evaporator further performs remarkable outdoors and maintains reliability in highly concentrated salt water (20 wt%). The Janus-structured, salt-rejecting biomimetic aerogel evaporator developed in this study presents an eco-friendly and cost-effective solution for sustainable clean water production.
研究领域:
材料科学
·
环境科学
·
生物仿生学
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
JOURNAL OF COLLOID AND INTERFACE SCIENCE
·
2024
·
IF 9.4
Yu-Qiao Chen,Ying-Jie Zhu,Zhong-Yi Wang,Han-Ping Yu,Zhi-Chao Xiong
Solar energy-driven water evaporation technology is a promising, low-cost and sustainable approach to alleviate the global clean water shortage, but usually suffers from low water evaporation rate and severe salt deposition on the water evaporation surface. In this work, a hydrophilic bilayer photothermal paper-based three-dimensional (3D) cone flowing evaporator was designed and prepared for stable high-performance seawater desalination with excellent salt-rejecting ability. The as-prepared bilayer photothermal paper consisted of MXene (Ti 3 C 2 T x ) and HAA (ultralong hydroxyapatite nanowires, poly(acrylic acid), and poly(acrylic acid-2-hydroxyethyl ester)). The accordion-like multilayered MXene acted as the efficient solar light absorber, and ultralong hydroxyapatite (HAP) nanowires served as the thermally insulating and supporting skeleton with a porous networked structure. A siphon effect-driven unidirectional fluid transportation unit in the 3D cone flowing evaporator could guide the concentrated saline flowing away from the evaporating surface to prevent salt deposition on the evaporation surface, avoiding severe deterioration of the performance in solar water evaporation. Furthermore, combining high solar light absorption and high photothermal conversion efficiencies, low water evaporation enthalpy (1838 ± 11 J g −1 ), and additional energy taken from the ambient environment, the as-prepared cone flowing evaporator exhibited a high water evaporation rate of 3.22 ± 0.20 kg m −2 h −1 for real seawater under one sun illumination (1 kW m −2 ), which was significantly higher than many values reported in the literature. This study provides an effective approach for designing high-performance solar energy-driven water evaporators for sustainable seawater desalination and wastewater purification.
研究领域:
材料科学
·
环境科学
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
DESALINATION
·
2017
·
IF 5.527
Hao-Ran Zuo,Hui Lu,Gui-Ping Cao,Meng Wang,Yi-Ying Wang,Jing-Man Liu
To improve the efficiency of forward osmosis (FO) process, Na type ion exchange resin (IER-Na) powders were successfully blended into the support layer of FO membrane, which could introduce extra charged passageway. Consequently, the water flux of 5wt%IER-Na (with 5 wt% IER-Na loading) was 1.75 times as large as that of 0wt%IER-Na (with 0 wt% IER-Na loading), under the condition for evaluating FO performance (1.5 mol/L NaCl as draw solution and de-ionized water as feed solution in AL-DS mode). Notably, the salt rejection was retained above 95.0%. By multi-techniques such as SEM , EDS, ATR-FTIR and the analysis of diffusion coefficients in both polysulfone and IER-Na, it was proved that the enhanced water flux was mainly attributed to the extra charged passageway introduced by IER-Na. Meanwhile, the retained salt rejection was ascribed to the considerable salt rejection of extra charged passageway in IER-Na. This work sheds light on a new perspective in promoting the mass transfer in FO membranes.
研究领域:
材料科学
·
环境工程
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
高影响因子
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
·
2025
·
IF 13.2
Ju Lv,Lang Pan,Yawei Zhu,Xinyue Zhang,Liujin Yang,Xiudie Wang,Xueqiong Yin
Interfacial Solar Evaporation (ISE) presents a sustainable approach for freshwater production, yet challenges persist in achieving efficient salt resistance and long-term stability. This study introduces a Thermoresponsive Hydrogel (TRH) photothermal evaporator using a novel strategy that did not require an additional light absorber. The TRH was synthesized by copolymerizing a thermosensitive monomer, isopropylacrylamide, with acrylamide using chitosan as the matrix, followed by an in-situ chromogenic reaction through crosslinking with Genipin. The TRH system demonstrates exceptional evaporation performance with a water evaporation rate (WER) of 2.63 kg·m −2 ·h −1 and a photothermal conversion efficiency of 95.0 % in a 3.5 wt% NaCl solution. Notably, it maintains stable evaporation rates above 2.60 kg·m −2 ·h −1 during extended 7-day cyclic operation and sustains > 1.91 kg·m −2 ·h −1 in hypersaline environments (15 wt% NaCl). Comparative analysis reveals the TRH’s evaporation capacity surpasses that of non-chromogenic counterparts, while exhibiting superior salt rejection characteristics. These findings establish the TRH as a promising solution for high-efficiency desalination of seawater and hypersaline brines through solar-driven evaporation, addressing critical challenges in sustainable water purification technology.
研究领域:
材料科学
·
环境工程
·
能源技术
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
高影响因子
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
·
2024
·
IF 13.3
Yang Xiao,Bo Liu,Da Li,Xiong Zheng,Jiahao Li,Guangzhao Qin
Solar steam generation has been considered a compellent desalination technology due to its environmental friendliness and sustainability, while interfacial salt crystallization and low freshwater yield are two serious issues that constrain its widespread application. In this work, inspired by lotus seedpod, a biomimetic evaporator containing conductive hydrogel was fabricated through 3D printing. The printed evaporator has excellent solar absorption, good mechanical properties, high water capture ability, and reduced vaporization enthalpy, which are exactly desired by good evaporators. Furthermore, the vertical micro-channels and networks inside hydrogel promote the transport of ions from the interface to bulk seawater, and the constructed edge petals drive salt ions to crystallize at the edges, both of these strategies suppress the salt crystallization and ensure long-term continuous operation of the evaporator in concentrated (25 wt%) seawater. Due to these positive effects, the evaporator can achieve 2.413 and 1.889 kg·m −2 ·h −1 steam yield under one sun in pure water and concentrated (25 wt%) seawater, which is much higher than the 2D evaporator and competitive among the reported evaporators. This work paves the road for the practical utilization of hydrogel in solar desalination.
研究领域:
材料科学
·
环境科学
·
能源工程
✓ 已验证
DOI
高影响因子
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
·
2024
·
IF 13.3
Xiaohong Zhou,Xingyuan Wang,Yueqian Yan,Ziyi Luo,Tuqiao Zhang,Miaomiao Ye
A novel solar-driven seawater desalination process based on air–water interfacial heating is considered as one of the effective methods for supplying freshwater on islands with shortage of electricity supply. However, salt accumulation and volatile pollutants entering into condensed freshwater are two main drawbacks that limit the application of this new process. In this work, an activated carbon (AC) aerogel with both salt-rejection property and inhibition of volatile pollutants from entering freshwater was prepared using powdered AC as a photothermal and adsorbent material and polyvinyl alcohol as a skeleton. The water evaporation rate of the AC aerogel with its external exposure heights of 0, 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 mm were 1.25, 1.46, 1.63, 1.64, 1.68 and 1.54 kg·m −2 ·h −1 under 1 kW·m −2 irradiance, respectively, which are 4.13, 4.82, 5.38, 5.42, 5.55 and 5.09 times higher than that without AC aerogel. The salt-rejection property was achieved by rapid exchange of the concentrated brine with the beneath feed water though the AC aerogel. Meanwhile, the distillation rate of volatile pollutant phenol was reduced from 84.84 % to 0 % through AC adsorption, thereby purifying the condensed freshwater. Finally, an out-door seawater desalination experiment was conducted by packing 25 AC aerogels using real seawater as feed water, and the freshwater quality fitted with the standards for drinking water quality in WHO, US EPA and China.
研究领域:
材料科学
·
环境科学
·
化学工程
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
高影响因子
危险品化学品经营许可证（带存储）