Synergistic Effect of Photothermal Conversion in MXene/Au@Cu_2−xS Hybrids for Efficient Solar Water Evaporation

Abstract

A three‐plasmon hybrid, in which core–shell Au@Cu2−xS hybrids are bonded with ultrathin Ti3C2Tx MXene, is prepared for high‐efficiency photothermal conversion and membrane‐based solar water evaporation for the first time. The MXene/Au nanorod@Cu2−xS hybrids display excellent photothermal conversion efficiency under irradiation of an 808 laser, causing by the three‐plasmon‐induced synergistic plasmonic absorption and heating effects as well as the multichannel charge transfer between the components. Then, Au nanosphere@Cu2−xS and Au nanorod@Cu2−xS hybrids are mixed and combined with MXene to serve as the membrane material, which shows excellent light absorption ranging from ultraviolet to near‐infrared region. By transferring the membrane materials on a hydrophilic cotton piece, the as‐prepared photothermal membrane displays a high evaporation rate of 2.023 kg m−2 h−1 and light‐to‐heat conversion efficiency of 96.1% under 1‐sun irradiation due to the synergistic photothermal conversion and over 96% of solar light absorption efficiency. Furthermore, a home‐made solar evaporation device enabling automatic inflow of untreated water and outflow of evaporated water is designed based on the principles of liquid pressure and connectors. The seawater desalination and sewage treatment experiments performed on the device and membrane indicate the great potential in solar‐light‐driven water purification and drinkable water generation.

Gold–Silver Hybrid Nanostructures for Efficient Near-Infrared Photothermal Conversion: Core–Shell Configuration of Multipod and Hollow Cage

“…When compared to recent studies, these values are quite competitive among state-of-the-art noble metal photothermal materials (Table S5). − Additionally, there was no significant change in the Δ T value of AuAg HNS after five cycles of laser irradiation testing, indicating excellent photothermal stability (Figure d).…”

Synergistic Densification in Hybrid Organic‐Inorganic MXenes for Optimized Photothermal Conversion

“…Plasmonic materials like Au, Ag, Cu with the extremely high cost and low earth abundance efficiently convert light to heat, while certain plasmonic semiconductors (WO 3−x , Cu 2−x S, and Cu 2−x Se) exhibit high photothermal conversion efficiency. [38] Therefore, in recent years, massive recent advances have been made in the research of improving LSPR of Ti 3 C 2 T x MXene by integration of metal/semiconductor hybrids. [38][39][40][41][42][43] However, MXene/plasmonic precious metal hybrids come at a high cost, face stability challenges with MXene/semiconductor hybrids, and involve a complex and environmentally unfriendly synthesis process.…”

“…[38] Therefore, in recent years, massive recent advances have been made in the research of improving LSPR of Ti 3 C 2 T x MXene by integration of metal/semiconductor hybrids. [38][39][40][41][42][43] However, MXene/plasmonic precious metal hybrids come at a high cost, face stability challenges with MXene/semiconductor hybrids, and involve a complex and environmentally unfriendly synthesis process. These drawbacks limit their practical applications.…”

Preparation of Pt@Au Hollow Nanobipyramid Heterostructures for Effective Photocatalytic Degradation

“…Photocatalytic degradation, an effective method for degrading many organic pollutants, is a sustainable, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly technology. , Materials commonly used in photocatalytic degradation include doped titanium dioxide nanomaterials, metal oxide nanocrystals, alkaline earth metal cations, metal-doped organic aerogels, noble metal nanomaterials, and so on. − Compared with the traditional semiconductor photocatalytic materials, noble metal nanomaterials have a unique plasmon effect, − which can greatly enhance the interaction between light and matter, thereby improving the photocatalytic degradation rate. Among many kinds of noble metal nanomaterials, Au nanomaterials, which are renowned for their exceptional chemical stability, have been extensively studied.…”