Abstract

Seawater desalination with solar-driven interfacial evaporators has emerged as a promising solution to alleviate global water scarcity. However, conventional two-dimensional (2D) planar evaporators have high reflectivity, which poses a challenge in achieving efficient light absorption. Herein, a sandwich-structured solar-driven interfacial evaporator (SSIE) assembled with three-dimensional (3D) cellulose aerogel membranes (modified with TiN nanoparticles) and an air-laid paper was proposed, which is significantly different from the previously reported 2D membrane-based evaporators. Cellulose aerogel membranes have excellent integrated properties, including extremely high flexibility, allowing for multiple folds, and a 3D porous structure that enables multiple light absorptions. Benefiting from special structural design, SSIE achieves an outstanding evaporation rate of 2.20 kg m−2 h−1 and an energy efficiency of 83.30%. Moreover, SSIE maintains a stable evaporation rate throughout a 10 h saltwater evaporation process. It also demonstrates excellent performance in seawater and simulated wastewater purification. Furthermore, SSIE exhibits a significant purification effect for dye wastewater, such as Rhodamine B (RhB). This study provides valuable insights into rational structural design for solar evaporators, as well as holding tremendous potential for carrying out seawater desalination in limited spaces.

Full Text
Published version (Free)

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call