1. Hierarchical Cu dendrites@ CuO multifunctional nanowire mesh for solar-thermal clean water production.
- Author
-
Zhou, Huang, Cao, Hongbin, Que, Yuting, Chen, Yifei, Fu, Jingjing, Wang, Haiyan, Zheng, Yanyan, He, Xiu, Yang, Yuxin, and Liu, Jun
- Subjects
- *
NANOWIRES , *GREEN business , *COPPER , *BACTERIAL cell walls , *RADIATION sterilization , *SOLAR thermal energy , *WATER purification , *COPPER oxide - Abstract
Solar-driven interfacial evaporation is recognized as an energy-efficient and sustainable approach to combat the global freshwater crisis, particularly in rural areas where continuous energy inputs are limited. Additionally, these regions often lack effective sterilization methods for their water sources. By incorporating photothermal materials with inherent antibacterial properties, water purification can be enhanced without relying on external sterilization steps. Herein, we designed a multi-functional photothermal (MFP) evaporator based on a Cu dendrite@ CuO with abundant nanowires via a template-free method for solar-thermal clean water production. Compared to flat-type structures, the MPF evaporator with its dendritic architecture not only exhibits efficient photon absorption but also expands the evaporation area by over sevenfold, facilitating enhanced water evaporation with an efficient pathway for water transfer. Under 1 kW m−2, the MFP evaporator achieves an impressive evaporation rate of 1.40 kg m−2 h−1 and an efficiency of 87.8 %. Furthermore, the MFP evaporator demonstrates remarkable antibacterial capabilities, effectively inhibiting bacterial growth in raw water by damaging bacterial cell walls. Hence, the as-prepared MFP evaporator exhibits tremendous potential as an innovative system for solar-driven interfacial water evaporation and purification. We proposed a multi-functional photothermal (MFP) evaporator for solar-thermal clean water production which realized a photothermal evaporation temperature of 40.6 °C and an evaporation rate of >1.40 kg m−2 h−1 via ∼ 87.8 % solar conversion under 1 sunlight illumination, originating from the large photo-thermal evaporation area, narrow heat conduction path, and efficient water transfer. Besides, the MFP evaporator was fabricated through a simple process of low cost and can be connected together to form large-scale floating networks for water evaporation. Moreover, the MFP evaporator possessed a great antibacterial ability, inhibiting the growth of bacteria in raw water by destroying the cell wall of bacteria. Thus, the as-prepared MFP evaporator has great potential serves as a novel system for implementing solar-driven interfacial water evaporation and water purification. [Display omitted] • A multi-functional photothermal evaporator was designed for solar water evaporation. • Enhanced light trapping and large evaporation area contributed an excellent evaporator. • The MFP evaporator with inherent antibacterial properties (rejection rate exceeded 99.9 %). • The conversion efficiency of the setup reaches as high as 87.8 % under 1 sun. • A low-cost and well-controllable fabrication process enables for large-scale applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF