A carbon black floating film for seawater desalination based on interfacial solar heating

Abstract

Superhydrophobic carbon black (CB) nanoparticles were prepared by deposition of a monolayer of 1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorooctyltrichlorosilane (PFOTS) on their surfaces. A thin CB floating film was assembled under solar light irradiance with the assistance of the water's surface tension and the water molecules' thermal motion. The formation of a thin floating film with suitable CB dose significantly enhanced the water evaporation rate, which was 1.9, 3.0, and 7.2 times higher than that without formation of a CB film, CB nanoparticles uniformly dispersed in water, and pure water, respectively. The temperature difference between the two air–water interfaces with and without the CB floating film was as high as 20.1 °C, which strongly confirms the interfacial heating behavior. There was no decrease of water evaporation rate over the whole measured period of 30 days, which undoubtedly reveals the excellent stability and durability of the CB floating film. Finally, a real seawater sample was used for solar distillation and the typical water-quality indexes before and after solar distillation were compared.

Low-cost and scalable carbon bread used as an efficient solar steam generator with high performance for water desalination and purification

“…In the carbon bread, bread was selected as a skeleton, and carbon black was introduced into the bread to enhance the absorbance due to its high absorption and low cost. 39,40 This low-cost ($0.85 per m 2 ) and scalable carbon bread sponge could be directly utilized as a high-performance evaporator for solar steam generation, with a high water production rate of 1.28 kg h À1 m À2 and 85.9% energy efficiency under 1 sun solar illumination. This high performance benets from the 3D interconnected hierarchical pores, hydrophilicity and thermal insulation properties of the bread, as well as the high light absorption capability of the carbon black.…”

Interfacial Solar Distillation for Freshwater Production: Fate of Volatile and Semivolatile Organic Contaminants

“…Based on previous research, we have summarized various photothermal materials in Figure S2a. Among them, reduced graphene oxide (rGO), − carbon nanotube (CBNT), ,, carbon black (CB), − and black cloth (B-cloth) are well-known materials in this area, and they were chosen as candidates to evaluate the ability of the interfacial solar evaporator for the rejection of volatile compounds in this study. Figure S2b,c shows the volume of distilled water collected and the mass distribution of the compound in the distilled water from the ISD using the four different photothermal materials.…”

High-Efficiency Photothermal Water Evaporation under Low-Intensity Sunlight Using Wood Biochar Monolith

“…With careful optical design, water supply channel optimization, and thermal management, the energy conversion efficiency of solar desalination and wastewater treatment technologies has been greatly enhanced . Based on the light-to-thermal conversion mechanisms, there are three categories of photothermal materialsplasmonic nanoparticles of metal (e.g., Au), , semiconductors, , and thermal vibration materials such as polymers , and carbon-based materials, − while hybrid materials have also been explored. , Metal nanoparticles convert light to heat via plasmonic resonance, which occurs when the frequency of light matches the frequency of electrons on the metal surface, generating hot electrons . Photons excite electrons in semiconductors and generate electron–hole pairs when the photon energy exceeds or is equal to the bandgap.…”