Shi Lei, Sun Kai, Zhang Gongyu, Jiang Ming, Xu Xianlin, Zhuang Xupin
State Key Laboratory of Separation Membranes and Membrane Processes, Tiangong University, Tianjin 300387, PR China; School of Textile Science and Engineering, Tiangong University, Tianjin 300387, PR China.
School of Textile Science and Engineering, Tiangong University, Tianjin 300387, PR China.
J Colloid Interface Sci. 2022 Oct 15;624:377-384. doi: 10.1016/j.jcis.2022.05.144. Epub 2022 May 30.
Solar-driven interfacial evaporation is an emerging technology to obtain fresh water using solar energy. However, the complicated system and the corresponding fabrication process severely restrict its large-scale and cost-effective production. Herein, an all-in-one solar-driven interfacial evaporator was fabricated via a hybrid nanofibrous aerogel of aramid nanofibers (ANFs), carbon nanotubes (CNTs), and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). Assisted by the reprotonation of the ANFs, CNTs are assembled into the nanofibrous network for through-body light-to-heat activity, and AuNPs are set on the surface layer to enhance solar absorption. The aerogel also features low thermal conductivity to suppress heat losses and high capillary action to wick and confine water within the aerogels. Benefitting from the synergistic effect, the aerogel shows a high evaporation rate of 1.53 kg mh and an evaporation efficiency of 91.3% under 1 sun irradiation. Simultaneously, the evaporator demonstrates high purification capacity for wastewaters with dyes and heavy metal ions. The integrated structure design and facile fabrication process would make the hybrid nanofibrous aerogel-based all-in-one evaporators promising for cost-effective and large-scale application under ambient solar irradiance.
太阳能驱动的界面蒸发是一种利用太阳能获取淡水的新兴技术。然而，复杂的系统和相应的制造工艺严重限制了其大规模和低成本生产。在此，通过芳纶纳米纤维（ANFs）、碳纳米管（CNTs）和金纳米颗粒（AuNPs）的混合纳米纤维气凝胶制备了一种一体化太阳能驱动界面蒸发器。在ANFs的再质子化作用下，CNTs组装成纳米纤维网络以实现贯穿体的光热活性，AuNPs设置在表层以增强太阳能吸收。该气凝胶还具有低导热率以抑制热损失以及高毛细作用以将水芯吸并限制在气凝胶内。受益于协同效应，该气凝胶在1个太阳辐照下显示出1.53 kg m⁻² h⁻¹的高蒸发速率和91.3%的蒸发效率。同时，该蒸发器对含有染料和重金属离子的废水具有高净化能力。集成结构设计和简便的制造工艺将使基于混合纳米纤维气凝胶的一体化蒸发器在环境太阳辐照下具有成本效益高和大规模应用的前景。
