Xiuyue Sun, Haowen Sun, Zihao Wo, Yier Su, Xiwen Zhang
{"title":"A dual-crosslinked macroporous aerogel with enhanced mechanical durability for efficient solar-driven desalination of seawater and wastewater","authors":"Xiuyue Sun, Haowen Sun, Zihao Wo, Yier Su, Xiwen Zhang","doi":"10.1039/d4ta05732e","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"Solar-driven interfacial evaporation for seawater desalination is an effectively green measure to produce clean water and help alleviate freshwater scarcity. However, it is still a challenge to fabricate an interfacial solar evaporator that possesses a high evaporation rate with effective channels to resist clogging of salt accumulation during evaporation. Here, a dual-crosslinked aerogel with macropores is prepared using environmentally friendly biomass materials gelatin and cellulose nanofibril. It exhibits super salt resistance, durable mechanical strength and low thermal conductivity. In solar-driven interfacial evaporation, this aerogel achieves a peak evaporation rate of 2.14 kg·m-2·h-1 and a solar thermal conversion efficiency of 96.3% under 1 sun illumination in 3.5 wt% brine. The macroporous structure facilitates rapid convection and reflux, which is originating from ionic electrostatic effect and contributing to excellent salt resistance and long-term cycling performance of aerogel in seawater purification. Furthermore, the aerogel exhibits durability against strong acids, alkali and dyed wastewater, suggesting its potential for sustainable applications in advanced solar-driven desalination and wastewater treatment. This study provides new insights into the utilization of biomass-based photothermal aerogels for addressing global water challenges.","PeriodicalId":82,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Materials Chemistry A","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":10.7000,"publicationDate":"2024-09-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Journal of Materials Chemistry A","FirstCategoryId":"88","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d4ta05732e","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"CHEMISTRY, PHYSICAL","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Solar-driven interfacial evaporation for seawater desalination is an effectively green measure to produce clean water and help alleviate freshwater scarcity. However, it is still a challenge to fabricate an interfacial solar evaporator that possesses a high evaporation rate with effective channels to resist clogging of salt accumulation during evaporation. Here, a dual-crosslinked aerogel with macropores is prepared using environmentally friendly biomass materials gelatin and cellulose nanofibril. It exhibits super salt resistance, durable mechanical strength and low thermal conductivity. In solar-driven interfacial evaporation, this aerogel achieves a peak evaporation rate of 2.14 kg·m-2·h-1 and a solar thermal conversion efficiency of 96.3% under 1 sun illumination in 3.5 wt% brine. The macroporous structure facilitates rapid convection and reflux, which is originating from ionic electrostatic effect and contributing to excellent salt resistance and long-term cycling performance of aerogel in seawater purification. Furthermore, the aerogel exhibits durability against strong acids, alkali and dyed wastewater, suggesting its potential for sustainable applications in advanced solar-driven desalination and wastewater treatment. This study provides new insights into the utilization of biomass-based photothermal aerogels for addressing global water challenges.
期刊介绍:
The Journal of Materials Chemistry A, B & C covers a wide range of high-quality studies in the field of materials chemistry, with each section focusing on specific applications of the materials studied. Journal of Materials Chemistry A emphasizes applications in energy and sustainability, including topics such as artificial photosynthesis, batteries, and fuel cells. Journal of Materials Chemistry B focuses on applications in biology and medicine, while Journal of Materials Chemistry C covers applications in optical, magnetic, and electronic devices. Example topic areas within the scope of Journal of Materials Chemistry A include catalysis, green/sustainable materials, sensors, and water treatment, among others.