In-situ growth of CNTs on porous carbon fibers for solar-driven enhanced interfacial evaporation

Against the backdrop of the increasingly severe global water crisis, solar-powered interface evaporation technology is widely regarded as a highly promising alternative seawater desalination strategy due to its outstanding energy conversion efficiency, sustainability advantages, and significant cost-effectiveness. In this study, a Janus-structured Porous Cobalt Carbon Nanotubes/Carbon (Porous-Co-CNTs/C) fiber evaporator was successfully fabricated via multi-fluid electrospinning combined with thermal treatment and vapor deposition. The evaporator features a unique design: The modified CNTs exhibit hydrophilicity and act as a light-absorbing layer, while the relatively hydrophobic carbon fibers act as a heat-insulating layer. This phenomenon is attributed to the remarkably high photothermal conversion capability of CNTs, in conjunction with the thermal localization property of porous carbon fibers. The results reveal an evaporation rate of 1.46 kg m −2  h −1 and a remarkable energy conversion efficiency of 97.2% under 1 sun irradiation (1 kW m −2 ). Furthermore, the evaporator exhibits robust treatment capabilities for organic dyes and acidic/alkaline wastewater. Coupled with its long-term stability, these findings underscore the great potential of the Porous-Co-CNTs/C Janus fiber evaporator in desalination and wastewater reclamation applications.