Cellulose-based MXene composite foams with enhanced oxidation stability and Janus wettability for high-performance solar evaporation and electricity generation.

Solar-driven interfacial evaporation (SDIE) technology has evolved rapidly in the last decade and is an exciting scientific topic. With this high level of attention, it is necessary to continuously summarize previous research to develop SDIE technology well. Therefore, we have prepared this review article to summarize the latest progress in this field. First, photothermal conversion materials are introduced, which play an essential role in SDIE, including plasma metal nanoparticles, semiconductors, and carbon-based and polymer-based materials, and their photothermal mechanisms are explained. Second, strategies to improve SDIE performances, such as enhanced light absorption, water transmission channel design, and thermal management, are discussed, which can well modulate the evaporator performance and improve energy utilization efficiency. Subsequently, the applications of SDIE in various aspects including desalination, sterilization, sewage treatment, and simultaneous generation of water and electricity are presented in detail. At the end, we summarize some of the current bottlenecks encountered by SDIE, offer some insights into the ideal SDIE evaporator, and provide an outlook on the future development of SDIE technology. The potential of SDIE is being demonstrated in a variety of applications and it promises to be a green, economical solution to energy and water shortage problems in the future. This review aims to promote the research and practical application of SDIE and contribute to its development.

Robust hollow glass microspheres-based solar evaporator with enhanced thermal insulation performance for efficient solar-driven interfacial evaporation

Sustainable water, energy and food (WEF) supplies are the bedrock upon which human society depends. Solar-driven interfacial evaporation, combined with electricity generation and cultivation, is a promising approach to mitigate the freshwater, energy and food crises. However, the performance of solar-driven systems decreases significantly during operation due to uncontrollable weather. This study proposes an integrated water/electricity cogeneration-cultivation system with superior thermal management. The energy storage evaporator, consisting of energy storage microcapsules/hydrogel composites, is optimally designed for sustainable desalination, achieving an evaporation rate of around 1.91 kg m-2 h-1. In the dark, heat released from the phase-change layer supported an evaporation rate of around 0.54 kg m-2 h-1. Reverse electrodialysis harnessed the salinity-gradient energy enhanced during desalination, enabling the long-running WEC system to achieve a power output of ~0.3 W m-2, which was almost three times higher than that of conventional seawater/surface water mixing. Additionally, an integrated crop irrigation platform utilized system drainage for real-time, on-demand wheat cultivation without secondary contaminants, facilitating seamless WEF integration. This work presents a novel approach to all-day solar water production, electricity generation and crop irrigation, offering a solution and blueprint for the sustainable development of WEF.

Simultaneous realization of efficient solar evaporation and electricity collection through dual regulation of chemical composition and pore channels

Cellulose nanofiber reinforced starch membrane with high mechanical strength and durability in water

Synergy of solar interfacial evaporation and hydrovoltaics in MOF-303 hydrogel for simultaneous desalination and electricity generation.

Biobased membranes that can selectively permeate hydrogen gas have been developed from aqueous dispersions of 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl (TEMPO)-oxidized cellulose nanofibrils (TOCN) prepared from wood cellulose: TOCN-coated plastic films and self-standing TOCN films. Compared with TOCNs with sodium, lithium, potassium, and cesium carboxylate groups, TOCN with free carboxyl groups (TOCN-COOH) had much high and selective H2 gas permeation performance. Because permeabilities of H2, N2, O2, and CO2 gases through the membranes primarily depended on their kinetic diameters, the gas permeation behavior of the various TOCNs can be explained in terms of a diffusion mechanism. Thus, the selective H2 gas permeability for TOCN-COOH was probably due to a larger average size in free volume holes present between nanofibrils in the layer and film than those of other TOCNs with metal carboxylate groups. The obtained results indicate that TOCN-COOH membranes are applicable as biobased H2 gas separation membranes in fuel cell electric power generation systems.

Climate change is driving the energy sector with significant impacts on renewable electricity generation systems. The purpose of this study is to analyse the impact of climate change on solar and wind electricity generation in Aotearoa New Zealand projected to 2050. To have realistic and tangible results and reduce the uncertainties, climate change is modelled with three climate and economic scenarios. The annual electricity generation projected for 2050 is estimated through simulations conducted with SAM (System Advisor Model), using data provided by NIWA. The projected energy output in 2050 is compared with the electricity production of two solar farms and five wind farms in 2024. The results show that solar electricity generation will be similar to the data that the Electricity Authority captured for 2024, with some slight seasonal variations. Wind-generated electricity is likely to be more affectedby climate change, with a substantial increase in average wind speed in winter and spring, especially on the southern island. A decrease in wind in summer and autumn reduces wind-generated electricity. The risks to the reliability and stability of solar and wind power generation systems are particularly amplified by the increase in extreme weather events, such as intensified storms, atmospheric rivers, and floods. This study highlights the vulnerability of Aotearoa New Zealand’s energy sector to climate change, and the need for adaptation strategies. The recommendations include flexibility of power grid management with alternative sustainable electricity generation solutions and storage strategies and strengthening solar and wind farm infrastructure to make them more resilient and durable against extreme weather events.

Highly salt-resistant organic-inorganic composite as a solar-driven interfacial evaporator for desalination and electricity generation

Hybrid solar-driven interfacial evaporation systems: Beyond water production towards high solar energy utilization

Sustainable reinforcement of natural rubber with redispersed cellulose nanofibers assisted by lignosulfonate: Enhancing mechanical, anti-swelling, and self-healing properties

Harvesting solar energy in an effective manner for steam and electricity generation is a promising technique to simultaneously cope with the energy and water crises. However, the construction of efficient and easy scale‐up photothermal materials for steam and electricity cogeneration remains challenging. Herein, we report a facile and cost‐effective strategy to prepare MnO2‐decorated cotton cloth (MCx). The wide adsorption spectrum and excellent photothermal conversion ability of the in situ‐formed MnO2 nanoparticles make the MCx to be advanced photothermal materials. Consequently, the hybrid device integrated with MCx as the photothermal layer and the thermoelectric (TE) module for electricity power conversion exhibits an extremely high evaporation rate of 2.24 kg m−2 h−1 under 1 kW m−2 irradiation, which is ranked among the most powerful solar evaporators. More importantly, during solar evaporation, the hybrid device produces an open‐circuit voltage of 0.3 V and a power output of 1.6 W m−2 under 3 Sun irradiation, and outperforms most of the previously reported solar‐driven electricity generation devices. Therefore, the integrated device with synergistic solar‐thermal utilization opens up a green way toward simultaneous solar vapor and electric power generation in remote and resource‐constrained areas.

This study examines the role of renewable electricity generation (EG) on environmental quality in the top 10 carbon dioxide (CO2) emitting European countries by considering ongoing energy crisis. By doing so, the research considers the environmental effect of renewable EG (such as hydro, solar, and wind) at a disaggregated level from January 2, 2019 to August 31, 2023, using the wavelet coherence (WC), quantile-on-quantile (QQ) regression and Granger causality in quantiles (GQ) methods. The outcomes demonstrate that (i) hydro, solar, and wind EG have a strong dependence on CO2 emissions, while effects vary across times and frequencies; (ii) hydro EG reduces CO2 emissions in Germany, Belgium, and Austria; (iii) at higher quantiles, solar EG curbs CO2 emissions in Italy, Spain, Romania, and Austria; (iv) at higher quantiles, wind EG lowers CO2 emissions in all countries except Bulgaria; (v) hydro, solar, and wind EG generally have a causal effect on CO2 emissions across all quantiles except for some lower (0.05–0.10), middle (0.40–0.60), and higher (0.90–0.95) quantiles. The results thus show that CO2 emissions in European countries are strongly influenced by renewable EG as a function of time, frequency, and quantile. In line with the outcomes, the study suggests continuing to rely on hydro EG for Germany, solar EG for Italy and Austria, and wind EG for all other countries as the best EG alternative for achieving a carbon-neutral economy. In this way, countries can benefit from renewable EG and at the same time contribute to their energy security.

Considering the energy crisis in Europe and searching for alternatives, this study investigates the impact of clean electricity generation (EG) types on the environment. So, the study focuses on EU-5 countries (Germany-DEU, Spain-ESP, France-FRA, United Kingdom-GBR, and Italy-ITA), uses CO2 emissions as environmental indicator, and considers clean EG types as explanatory variables by controlling geopolitical risk. Accordingly, the study uses data from 2nd January 2019 to 29th February 2024 and applies bivariate and multivariate quantile-on-quantile regression (BQQ & MQQ) and Granger causality-in-quantiles (GCQ) as the fundamental approaches, while quantile regression (QR) is performed for the consistency check. The outcomes reveal that (i) hydro EG increases CO2 emissions across countries excluding DEU at lower and middle quantiles; (ii) solar EG curbs CO2 emissions at middle quantiles in DEU, higher quantiles in ESP and FRA, and middle and higher quantiles in ITA; (iii) wind EG has an almost decreasing impact across quantiles excluding higher quantiles in DEU and FRA; (iv) clean EG types are almost causally impactful on CO2 emissions across quantiles; (v) geopolitical risk decreases the power of the impact of clean EG alternatives on CO2 emissions, but does not change them in a reverse way. To sum up, the impact of clean EG types on CO2 emissions in EU-5 countries varies across EG types, quantiles, and countries. Thus, the study suggests that wind EG is highly beneficial for all EU-5 countries, while there is also room for growth to benefit from hydro and solar EG for some countries.

PVA/cellulose hydrogel with asymmetric distribution of MoS2 for highly efficient solar-driven interfacial evaporation and electricity generation