A self-floating carbon fiber-based evaporator with a novel sandwich-Janus structure for highly efficient solar-driven interfacial evaporation

Abstract

Janus structure design has been widely used in the solar-driven interfacial evaporation (SDIE) recently. However, high thermal energy loss and poor interfacial adhesion derived from a traditional two-layered structure has limited the water evaporation rate. A novel sandwich Janus structured carbon fiber cloth/epoxy resin/melamine foam (CEM) evaporator was designed to achieve efficient photothermal conversion and evaporation. A high-efficiency light-absorbing hydrophobic upper layer, a closed-cell structured middle layer, and a hydrophilic porous lower layer work together to enhance photothermal efficiency, stability, and water transmission.” and fixed grammatical mistakes. Benefit from the structure design, the evaporator was self-floating which can further enhance the stability and efficiency in practical applications. As a result, the CEM evaporator exhibited a high evaporation rate of 3.56 kg·m⁻²·h⁻¹ in freshwater and 2.6 kg·m⁻²·h⁻¹ in saltwater(3.5 %) under 1 sun irradiation. And the CEM has a high light absorption rates of 91.43 %. The mechanism of CEM involves absorbing solar energy, which is converted into heat, allowing the water molecules at the gas-liquid interface to gain energy and transition into vapor, thereby promoting efficient evaporation.