A natural special-shaped MXene/bamboo evaporator with synergistic hydrothermal management for solar water purification

Utilization of bamboo's inherent irregular structure achieving efficient evaporation • Optimization of water transmission channel enabling the rapid water transmission • Hierarchical porous structure enabling efficient pollutant capture The development of solar-driven interfacial water evaporator (SPIE) using bamboo has emerged as a sustainable solution to tackle global freshwater scarcity. However, owing to the absence of effective water-heat synergy optimization, the evaporation performance of bamboo-based SPIE (B-SPIE) remains notably limited. This study innovatively integrates natural cylindrical bamboo with MXene to fabricate an arched MXene/bamboo evaporator (A-MDB). By depositing MXene onto the naturally furrowed surface of bamboo, the composite structure is endowed with high-efficiency light absorption capability and superior photothermal conversion properties. Natural bamboo features an intrinsic internal vascular bundle structure enabling effective water conveyance. Furthermore, filter paper was affixed to the inner wall of the A-MDB to enhance water transport further. Additionally, the 3D circular arch structure of bamboo not only significantly increases the evaporation interface area but also prevents ineffective heat dissipation into the bulk water. Consequently, an effective water-heat synergy optimization strategy has enabled an evaporation rate of 2.18 kg m −2  h −1 and a photothermal conversion efficiency of 98.5%, outperforming those of most B-SPIE. Meanwhile, this A-MDB can effectively treat diverse water sources (seawater, microplastics-polluted water, dye-polluted water and lake water) and produce purified water meeting drinking water standards. Compared to petroleum-based SPIE, the full utilization of low-carbon bamboo can reduce carbon emissions by 74.9%–92.2%. Download: Download high-res image (143KB) Download: Download full-size image