Interfacial solar vapor generation
has recently drawn much attention
because of its high solar-to-vapor generation efficiency. Here we
introduce the basic experimental procedures and analysis for undergraduates
to perform such an experiment to catch up with the cutting-edge research
wave. Interfacial solar vapor generation employs an interfacial solar
vapor generator to localize the solar harvest and the vapor generation
process at the air–water interface. In the experiment, three
commonly seen black materials, namely, a black trash bag, carbon fabric,
and black packing polyester, are used as the basic starting materials
for the construction of solar vapor generators. The light absorption
properties are measured with UV–vis spectroscopy, and the solar
vapor generation efficiencies are obtained using the data collected
with an electronic balance and thermometers. Overall, this experiment
aims to introduce undergraduate students in chemistry, environmental
science, textiles, geoscience, materials science, or engineering to
a cutting-edge technology in solar energy conversion, environmental
protection, and clean water access.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.