Recent advances of solar thermal conversion with wide absorption spectrum based on plasmonic nanofluids

Abstract

As an emerging technique, solar thermal conversion technology attracts significant attentions in the applications of solar harvesting. In which plasmonic photothermal materials are key factor in the solar energy utilization performance due to the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) effect. Besides, the avoidance for base fluid contamination by photothermal materials and the large scale practical application for freshwater generation are another issues that cannot be ignored in solar thermal conversion technology. In this review, the research progress of photothermal materials with full-spectrum solar thermal conversion are reviewed and numerical photothermal conversion efficiency (PCE) is compared with base fluids. Furthermore, the performance of interface evaporation device used for solar-driven water generation with long term practical application is discussed. The review shows that for plasmonic materials based solar collector, the maximum PCE is observed to be 59.4 ∼ 99%, whereas for base fluid is 18 ∼ 80%. The evaporation device generates 6.72 kg m−2 freshwater one day with removal efficiency of 85.14% for contaminants under the outdoor practical application. Finally, the challenges and researches of future prospect are also identified.