Hydrothermal carbonaceous carbon-polydimethylsiloxane nanocomposites: Emerging potential in light-driven interfacial water evaporation and thermoelectric applications

Abstract

This study addresses the persistent challenge of developing cost-effective photothermal materials with superior light absorption and uncomplicated fabrication. Hydrothermal carbonaceous carbon (HTCC) emerges as a metal-free polymeric semiconductor, utilizing a facile, cost-effective process with abundant biomass feedstocks. HTCC's compatibility with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) makes it a potential candidate for light-driven thermoelectric and photothermal applications. This study demonstrates the efficiency of two-dimensional flexible HTCC/PDMS nanocomposites in converting incident solar energy to electricity, achieving ∼78 mV voltage under 1 sun illumination. Moreover, optimized three-dimensional Janus evaporator configuration, utilizing HTCC/PDMS on melamine foam, exhibited an impressive evaporation flux of 1.30 kg m−2 h−1 and a solar vapor conversion efficiency of 90.6%. These findings highlight HTCC's promise, encouraging comprehensive exploration in photothermal and thermoelectric research.