Ultra-black and self-cleaning all carbon nanotube hybrid films for efficient water desalination and purification

Abstract

All-carbon nanotube (CNT) hybrid films are fabricated through a facile vacuum filtration method by using hydrophilic single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) films as filters and multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) powder dispersed in ethanol as liquor. The hydrophilic SWCNT film provides penetration channels for water, while the superhydrophobic MWCNTs have self-cleaning, self-spreading, and broadband absorption ability. The hybrid film exhibits ultra-high solar absorbance (∼99%), low thermal conductivity, and excellent light-to-heat conversion capacity. The temperature of the hybrid film increases from 24 to 60 °C in 1 s under one-sun illumination in air. The individual hybrid film exhibits a high water evaporation rate of 1.37 kg m−2 h−1 and a solar thermal efficiency of 87.4% under one-sun after 1 h illumination. The solar thermal efficiency maintains at ∼80% when many pieces of hybrid films self-assemble into a large film (∼40 cm2). The hybrid films have great potential in the desalination of seawater and sewage treatment. Ion concentrations in seawater decrease significantly to drinkable water standards by only one distillation treatment. Organic pollutants, such as rhodamine B and methylene blue, are removed effectively from sewage water by using the hybrid films in a solar steam generator.