A tree-root mimicked Janus evaporator for solar evaporation of saturated saline water

Wang, Zhaolong; Zhan, Ziheng; Li, Yinfeng; Xie, Mingzhu; Kong, Hui; Duan, Huigao; Chen, Yongping

doi:10.1039/d3ta05753d

Cited by 11 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 52 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…The above comparison signifies the positive role of the fan-shaped gradient structure in achieving simultaneous heat localization and salt rejection to maintain the excellent evaporation performance at high salinities. [13,33,34,36,41,59,[68][69][70][71][72][73][74][75][76] Another possible factor affecting the evaporation rate and salt rejection performance is the pore channel size, which can be controlled by the freezing temperature [55]. We prepared SVA and SGA samples with different channel widths by using different freezing temperatures and compared their evaporation performance under one sun in a 20 wt% brine (see Supplementary Note S6 and Figs.…”

Section: Solar-powered Water Evaporation Performancementioning

confidence: 99%

“…eThe changes in evaporation rates of SRA and SGA in 20 wt% brine under one-sun illumination for 8 h. Insets show the salt accumulation on the surfaces of SRA after 8-h evaporation test while no salt accumulation observed for SGA. f Comparison of evaporation rate and energy efficiency under 1-sun achieved using SGA with other structural evaporators in 20 wt% NaCl solution[13,33,34,36,41,59,[68][69][70][71][72][73][74][75][76]…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Tree-Inspired Structurally Graded Aerogel with Synergistic Water, Salt, and Thermal Transport for High-Salinity Solar-Powered Evaporation

Zhao,

Zhang,

Chan

et al. 2024

Nano-Micro Lett.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Solar-powered interfacial evaporation is an energy-efficient solution for water scarcity. It requires solar absorbers to facilitate upward water transport and limit the heat to the surface for efficient evaporation. Furthermore, downward salt ion transport is also desired to prevent salt accumulation. However, achieving simultaneously fast water uptake, downward salt transport, and heat localization is challenging due to highly coupled water, mass, and thermal transport. Here, we develop a structurally graded aerogel inspired by tree transport systems to collectively optimize water, salt, and thermal transport. The arched aerogel features root-like, fan-shaped microchannels for rapid water uptake and downward salt diffusion, and horizontally aligned pores near the surface for heat localization through maximizing solar absorption and minimizing conductive heat loss. These structural characteristics gave rise to consistent evaporation rates of 2.09 kg m−2 h−1 under one-sun illumination in a 3.5 wt% NaCl solution for 7 days without degradation. Even in a high-salinity solution of 20 wt% NaCl, the evaporation rates maintained stable at 1.94 kg m−2 h−1 for 8 h without salt crystal formation. This work offers a novel microstructural design to address the complex interplay of water, salt, and thermal transport.

show abstract

Section: Solar-powered Water Evaporation Performancementioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Tree-Inspired Structurally Graded Aerogel with Synergistic Water, Salt, and Thermal Transport for High-Salinity Solar-Powered Evaporation

Zhao,

Zhang,

Chan

et al. 2024

Nano-Micro Lett.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

Ultra‐Durable Solar‐Driven Seawater Electrolysis for Sustainable Hydrogen Production

Wang,

Wu,

Wang

et al. 2024

Adv Funct Materials

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Ions in seawater hinder direct sewage electrolysis due to the extreme corrosion of Cl− to the anode and reaction of Mg2+ and Ca2+ on the cathode producing solid substances, which reduce the electrolytic efficiency. However, traditional desalination consuming fossil fuel with massive CO2 emissions threatens human survival. Therefore, zero‐carbon emission, ultra‐durable, large‐scale production of freshwater from seawater for water electrolysis is urgently needed. Herein, a multifunctional system for seawater is demonstrated electrolysis based on ultra‐durable solar desalination outdoors. The solar evaporators reach an evaporation flux of 1.88 kg m−2 h−1 with a photothermal conversion efficiency of solar energy as high as 91.3% with excellent ultra‐durable salt resistance even for saturated saltwater due to the Marangoni effects. Moreover, the condensation of pure water from solar desalination based on the evaporation system reaches 0.54 L m−2 h−1 outdoors, which is suitable for a 20 cm × 20 cm engineered electrode equipped with a Janus membrane powered by a solar panel to produce H2 outdoors. The ultrafast unidirectional transport of H2 bubbles enabled by Janus membranes can greatly improve the H2 production efficiency at a rate approaching 85 mL h−1 for continuous 24 h outdoors.

show abstract

Floating Photothermal Hydrogen Production

Xu,

Zhao,

et al. 2024

ChemSusChem

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Solar‐to‐hydrogen (STH) is emerging as a promising approach for energy storage and conversion to contribute to carbon neutrality. The lack of efficient catalysts and sustainable reaction systems is stimulating the fast development of photothermal hydrogen production based on floating carriers to achieve unprecedented STH efficiency. This technology involves three major components: floating carriers with hierarchically porous structures, photothermal materials for solar‐to‐heat conversion and photocatalysts for hydrogen production. Under solar irradiation, the floating photothermal system realizes steam generation which quickly diffuses to the active site for sustainable hydrogen generation with the assistance of a hierarchically porous structure. Additionally, this technology is endowed with advantages in the high utilization of solar energy and catalyst retention, making it suitable for various scenarios, including domestic water supply, wastewater treatment, and desalination. A comprehensive overview of the photothermal hydrogen production system is present due to the economic feasibility for industrial application. The in‐depth mechanism of a floating photothermal system, including the solar‐to‐heat effect, steam diffusion, and triple‐phase interaction are highlighted by elucidating the logical relationship among buoyant carriers, photothermal materials, and catalysts for hydrogen production. Finally, the challenges and new opportunities facing current photothermal catalytic hydrogen production systems are analyzed.

show abstract

A tree-root mimicked Janus evaporator for solar evaporation of saturated saline water

Abstract: We demonstrate a new type of solar evaporation system with microchannels and macrochannels possessing different wettabilities working as Janus devices inspired by poplar trees, leading to effective water evaporation and salt rejection performance for saturated saline water.

Cited by 11 publications

References 52 publications

Tree-Inspired Structurally Graded Aerogel with Synergistic Water, Salt, and Thermal Transport for High-Salinity Solar-Powered Evaporation

Tree-Inspired Structurally Graded Aerogel with Synergistic Water, Salt, and Thermal Transport for High-Salinity Solar-Powered Evaporation

Ultra‐Durable Solar‐Driven Seawater Electrolysis for Sustainable Hydrogen Production

Floating Photothermal Hydrogen Production

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About