DESALINATION
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2025
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IF 9.8
Ya'’nan Zhao,Liyang Zhao,Yi'’na Yang,Tianran Zhao,Chunna Yu,Chang Zhao,Guangjian Xing
Freshwater scarcity and energy shortages stand as two of the most pressing global challenges confronting modern society. The integration of solar-driven interfacial evaporation with the hydrovoltaic effect emerges as a highly promising strategy to address both issues simultaneously. In this study, we report the development of Janus Nb 2 CT X /graphene aerogels (NGAs) specifically engineered to synergistically facilitate solar-driven seawater evaporation and hydrovoltaic power generation. The Janus NGAs were fabricated via a combination of hydrothermal reaction, freeze-drying, and surface modification techniques, yielding a three-dimensional porous architecture with distinct hydrophilic-hydrophobic asymmetry—a key structural feature for their dual-functional performance. Under 1 sun irradiation, the optimized NGA-3 sample achieved a high seawater evaporation rate of 1.64 kg·m −2 h −1 and an exceptional photothermal conversion efficiency of 86.61 %, attributed to the reduced water evaporation enthalpy (1904 kJ·kg −1 ) induced by the formation of intermediate water within the aerogel's porous structure. Meanwhile, the Nb 2 CT X MXene component enhances broadband sunlight absorption through the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) effect, further boosting photothermal conversion. Concurrently, the NGAs exhibit robust hydrovoltaic performance: in NaCl solution, NGA-3 generated a stable output voltage of 147 mV under 1 sun and 236 mV under 3 sun. A peak power density of 197 μW·cm −2 was achieved in 10 wt% NaCl solution, demonstrating its adaptability to high-salinity environments. Additionally, the NGAs maintain excellent salt resistance and long-term operational stability. The synergistic integration of efficient photothermal conversion and electricity harvesting in the Janus NGAs offers a viable solution to alleviate global freshwater and energy pressures.
研究领域:
材料科学
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可再生能源
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环境工程
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纳米技术
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能量收集
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
高影响因子
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
·
2024
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IF 13.3
Jinmin Zhao,Aqiang Chu,Juanli Chen,Pengju Qiao,Jing Fang,Zhensheng Yang,Zhongyu Duan,Hao Li
The hydrogel-based evaporator for interface evaporation provides a method for sustainable freshwater production. However, salt accumulation on the surface of the steam generator affects light absorption and reduces steam generation efficiency. Achieving a high-performance, salt-resistant steam generator remains challenging. Here, sponge-like polyelectrolyte composite hydrogel-based solar steam generator (MPS) is reported. The steam generator is designed with an interpenetrating network topology and is made by in-situ polymerizing sodium polyacrylate (P(SA)) in a sponge-like polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) hydrogel framework, using molybdenum disulfide (MoS 2 ) as a photothermal conversion material. Through the foaming process, MPS achieves self-floating and good water transportation performance, which enhances the thermal localization effect on the hydrogel surface and improves energy utilization efficiency (92.95 %), enabling efficient evaporation (3.22 kg m −2 h −1 ). Meanwhile, due to the coupling of P(SA), MPS exhibits excellent salt resistance, maintaining a long-term evaporation rate of 2.8 kg m −2 h −1 in high concentration saltwater (20 wt%). The porous structure and interconnected polymer chains enhance the mechanical performance of MPS, making it highly compressible and convenient for collecting freshwater marine and wilderness environments. The preparation strategy of MPS provides a feasible method to simultaneously improve the performance and durability of the interface steam generator in practical applications.
研究领域:
材料科学
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环境工程
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太阳能
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水处理
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
高影响因子
Materials Horizons
·
2024
·
IF 12.2
Xiangyi Zhang,Mengyao Zhu,Junhao Chen,Zongwei Wang,Sanchuan Li,Huiyu Yang,Hongman Xu,Guang He,Ziwei Deng,Shaojin Gu,Xin Liu,Bin Shang
The engineering of multifunctional structures with special surface wettability is highly desirable for all-weather freshwater production, but relevant research is scarce. In this study, a Janus conical vertical array was designed and fabricated via a magnetically driven spray-coating method for the first time. Benefiting from the special structure and wettability enhancement of the array in terms of solar absorption, fog capture and merging, droplet movement and evaporation area, all-weather freshwater production consisting of high-quality daytime solar vapor generation (water evaporation rate approximately 2.43 kg m−2 h−1, 1 kW m−2) and nighttime fog collection (water collection rate approximately 3.536 g cm−2 h−1) can be realized concurrently. When the designed array is employed for outdoor environments (114°35′E, 30°38′N, average daily temperature 34.9 °C, average daily humidity 64.0%), reliable and efficient daily pure water yields of 19.13 kg m−2–26.09 kg m−2 are obtainable. We believe that the proposed strategy for fabricating a Janus conical vertical array is novel in the integration of solar vapor generation and fog collection, which has great significance for all-weather freshwater production.
研究领域:
材料科学
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环境工程
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水资源管理
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太阳能
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
·
2022
·
IF 10.383
Bolun Peng,Quanqian Lyu,Yujie Gao,Miaomiao Li,Ge Xie,Zhanjun Xie,Hanchao Zhang,Jingli Ren,Jintao Zhu,Lianbin Zhang,Peng Wang
Solar steam generation provides a promising and low-cost solution for freshwater production in energy scarcity areas. However, in real-world applications, evaporators are easily affected by microorganism contamination in source water, causing surface corrosion, structural damage, or even invalidation. Developing anti-biofouling and antibacterial evaporators is significant for long-term stable freshwater production. Herein, a composite polyelectrolyte photothermal hydrogel consisting of sulfobetaine methacrylate (SBMA), [2-(methacryloyloxy)ethyl]trimethylammonium chloride (METAC), and polypyrrole (PPy) with anti-biofouling and antibacterial properties is developed. Crediting sufficient ammonium groups and zwitterionic segments, the optimized polyelectrolyte hydrogel exhibits an ∼90% antibacterial ratio against Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Escherichia coli (E. coli) and effectively controls biological contamination. Under 1.0 kW m–2 solar irradiation, a rapid water evaporation rate of ∼1.690 kg m–2 h–1 and a high solar-to-evaporation efficiency of ∼95.94% are achieved with the photothermal hydrogel. We show that a lab-made setup integrated with the hydrogel can realize ∼0.455 kg m–2 h–1 freshwater production from seawater under natural sunlight. Moreover, the hydrogel exhibits excellent durability with a stable evaporation rate of ∼1.617 kg m–2 h–1 in real seawater for over 6 weeks, making it fullhearted in the real-world application of solar steam generation.
研究领域:
材料科学
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环境科学
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能源工程
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化学工程
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
Small
·
2024
·
IF 13
Yue Liu,Ye Tian,Wenqing Cao,Shuaiheng Zhao,Yingqi Qiu,Lin Feng
Freshwater scarcity threatens human survival, particularly in extreme environments like deserts, oceans, and space. Compatible atmospheric water harvesting and undrinkable water purification offer an affordable approach to solving freshwater scarcity in these extreme environments. Nonetheless, developing composite sorbent to attain efficient atmospheric water harvesting and undrinkable water purification remains challenging. Hence, a portable hybrid hygroscopic powder (HLC powder) consisting of hydroxypropyl chitosan, dibenzaldehyde-functional poly(ethylene glycol), lithium chloride (LiCl), and nano carbon black is proposed. The HLC powder with optimized LiCl load can capture moisture from the air, showing a high water uptake of 1.76 g g −1 at 34% relative humidity (RH) and appropriate over a wide humidity from 34% to 75% RH. pH-responsive sol-gel transition induced by Schiff base bonds transforms the HLC solution into hydrogel, inhibiting hydrated salt leakage. Meanwhile, to achieve efficient undrinkable water purification, the LiCl-free hybrid powder is utilized to convert the undrinkable water, including seawater, dye water, and human urine, to photothermal hydrogel evaporators with low evaporation enthalpies and high evaporation rates ranging from 1.81 to 2.05 kg m −2 h −1 under one sun. This strategy establishes a new path to conveniently obtaining freshwater, breaking hydrological restrictions.
研究领域:
环境科学
·
材料科学
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化学工程
·
水资源管理
✓ 已验证
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
危险品化学品经营许可证（带存储）