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Improving solar energy conversion efficiency and salt resistance is particularly important for the practical application of green and sustainable solar steam generation technology. In this work, an interfacial evaporation polypyrrole-coated film was fabricated by the mixed-dimensional clay consisting of 1D palygorskite (Pal), 2D montmorillonite (Mt) and mica, etc., that was intercalated using polyaniline (PANI) and then introduced polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) as pore-forming agent and polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) as a base film. The prepared film could efficiently convert light energy to heat under solar irradiation with excellent properties of self-desalination and photothermal conversion efficiency as well as superhydrophilicity and low thermal conductivity. The photothermal conversion efficiency achieved up to 93.6% under the simulated sunlight of 1 kW m−2. The evaporation rate in 15% NaCl brine differed very little from that in pure water, and 0.2 g of NaCl placed on the film would be eliminated in short time at room temperature, which demonstrated that the film had salt resistance and self-cleaning capability. In addition, the resulting film had low thermal conductivity (0.09994 W m−1 K−1) and good mechanical properties (tensile strength of 1.1 MPa) and exhibited superhydrophilicity (water contact angle ~ 0°) which could transport water molecules rapidly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of high-performance form stable phase change materials (FSPCMs) with higher optical absorbance and phase change enthalpy is of great significance to building energy conservation. A kind of Ti 3 C 2 /pectin aerogels was prepared by self-assembly of pectin and MXene nanosheet (Ti 3 C 2) by solution blending method. These aerogels were directly dipped in the molten dodecylamine (DDA) as the phase change material. The results show that the PCM composites with 3 wt% Ti 3 C 2 have a phase change temperature of 25.47 °C (at which the human body feels comfortable), latent heat of phase change of 218.8 kJ kg−1, and thermal conductivity of 0.1817 W/(m K). The prepared FSPCMs have the characteristics of suitable phase change temperature, high latent heat, good melting/freezing cycle reliability, strong mechanical properties, significant photothermal energy conversion capacity (more than 92%), and good thermal insulation performance. Therefore, the corresponding pectin-based composites with better light absorption and mechanical properties are expected to have broad application prospects in energy conversion and building energy conservation. • Aerogels with enhanced mechanical properties were prepared by self-assembly of Ti3C2 and pectin. • The addition of Mxene effectively improved the solar-thermal conversion efficiency (92.6%) of composites. • The form-stable PCM composite has a phase change enthalpy of 196.3 kJ kg-1 (after 200 cycles). • The dodecylamine used in building energy storage has a suitable phase transition temperature (25.18 °C). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] The development and preparation of multifunctional photothermal conversion materials has far-reaching significance for the utilization of solar energy resources in response to the energy crisis. Herein, we propose a Janus membrane for interfacial solar evaporation and phase change energy storage. The membranes were fabricated via combining the PVA film with multi-shelled hollow spheres (MHS). The membranes have asymmetric wettability, that is, one side is hydrophilic and the other side is hydrophobic. The as-resulted membranes obtain outstanding light absorption without further processing. According to these two advantages, the membranes were applied to solar evaporation. The evaporation rate of the membrane is 1.41 kg*m−2h−1 and the evaporation efficiency is 92.4 % under 1sun irradiation. Moreover, the membrane prepared by impregnating 1-Hexadecanamine (HDA) into MHS possesses excellent tensile strength (2.21 MPa) and photothermal conversion ability. The light-to-thermal conversion efficiency can reach 81.9 % under 1sun irradiation. Therefore, the membranes have broad application prospects in the field of photothermal conversion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, an approach for development of a novel FS-PCMCs by incorporation of FAs into the GCA, which was derived from one-step hydrothermal of C-MWCNTs and GO followed by annealing treatment, through a simple direct impregnation. The FS-PCMCs was developed for solar energy storage. [Display omitted] The exploitation of excellent performance form-stable phase change material composites (FS-PCMCs) with enhanced photothermal conversion efficiency and high phase change latent heat is of great significance for thermal energy storage. In this work, a new type of FS-PCMCs with superior light-to-thermal conversion performance were created by impregnation of organic phase change material (1-hexadecylamine (HDA) and 1-tetradecylamine (TDA)) into the graphene aerogel (GA) and all-carbon aerogel (GCA) through a simple direct infusion. The multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) are wound around the inner wall of the GA layer to form a three-dimensional (3D) porous network structure to support fatty amine (FAs), thus achieving shape stability before and after phase transition. Moreover, the FS-PCMCs has extremely high phase transition enthalpy (203.1–248 kJ·kg−1) and good recyclability. More importantly, due to the high absorbance of GCA, it can enhance its light absorption capacity and reduce thermal radiation. The light-to-thermal conversion efficiency of the FS-PCMCs is 72.36%-88.25%. Taking the improvement of the comprehensive properties of the FS-PCMCs, the results of this work may open up a way for rational design and preparation of high-performance FS-PCMCs with enhanced storage capacity and light-to-thermal conversion efficiency for the efficient utilization of solar energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] The inevitable intermittency of solar illumination during the interfacial evaporation process can cause a reduction in the evaporation performance of solar evaporators. Here, we report the fabrication of a new solar-driven interfacial evaporator using MXene nanosheets as the photothermal layer, modifying them with conjugated microporous polymer hollow microspheres, and then compounding them with the phase change material, in this case, cetyl alcohol, to form a composite evaporator (CE) that can perform all-weather solar interfacial evaporation. By combining interfacial evaporation photothermal conversion with energy storage, the evaporator achieves an evaporation rate of 1.57 kg⋅m−2⋅h−1 at a light intensity of 1 kW⋅m−2 and 2.79 kg⋅m−2⋅h−1 at a light intensity of 2 kW⋅m−2. In addition, the evaporator attains an excellent solar evaporation efficiency of over 91% in both cases and even in salt water. In addition, interestingly, our CE exhibits excellent continuous evaporation ability, e.g., the mass of evaporated water was increased by 0.36 kg⋅m−2 at a light intensity of 2 kW⋅m−2 compared to the cavity evaporator without the phase change material (PCM) when solar light was turned off. These results could be attributed to the fact that the energy released by the incorporated phase change material allows the evaporator to maintain stable evaporation under conditions of insufficient or intermittent solar irradiation, potentially providing a new opportunity for addressing the intermittent problem of evaporation at the solar interface due to unstable light intensity, thus showing great potential for practical continuous desalination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Highly efficient harvesting, transfer, and storage of solar energy are of great significance for the sustainability of society Herein, we report the design and synthesis of conjugated microporous polymers hollow spheres (CMPs-HS) coated by graphene (GCMPs-HS) and compounded with the phase change material (PCM) octadecanol (GCMPs@ODA) for efficient solar photothermal conversion. The as-synthesized CMPs-HS shows a high specific surface (519.95 m2 g−1 and 309.26 m2 g−1), good thermostability, and lower thermal conductivity (0.33 W m-2h−1). By coating graphene, the light absorption remained about 90% in the visible light range, which allows light harvest for photothermal conversion. Taking the GCMPs-HS as a functional layer for the solar steam generation (SSG) system, a high evaporation efficiency of near 90% is obtained. After inhaling octadecanol, GCMPs@ODA are prepared and their latent heats are measured to about 217.4 J g−1 and 224.6 J g−1. Under 1 sun irradiation, the photothermal conversion efficiencies of GCMPs@ODA are measured to be 87.15% and 85.83%, the above merits applied in different conditions are superior to photothermal conversion materials reported in the literature. Thus, among the above merits, the fabricated materials are the competitive candidate which shows the great potential in the efficient application of solar energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of efficient solar photothermal conversion and energy storage composite (SPCSC) is of great significance in solving the imbalance between supply and demand of solar energy utilization in time and space. Herein, we prepare multi-shell hollow spheres by selecting glucose as the template and magnesium carbonate trihydrate (MgCO 3 ·3H 2 O) and chloroplatinic acid hexahydrate (H 2 PtCl 6 ·6H 2 O) as raw materials by hydrothermal-calcination method. Octadecylamine (ODA) is loaded into MSHS by vacuum impregnation to prepare SPCSC with excellent comprehensive properties (MSHS@ODA). The multi-layer hollow microspheres provide the micro-nano space structure for ODA, enhance the heat transfer rate of MSHS@ODA, effectively solve the leakage problem, and enable MSHS@ODA to have a fast photothermal response. MSHS@ODA possesses a high light absorption (75.5%), thermal conductivity (0.35 W·m−1·K−1), and photothermal conversion. The phase change enthalpy can reach 130.7 J·g−1 and maintain a high energy storage density during 100 cyclic phase change tests. Specifically, MSHS@ODA decreases the operating temperature of lithium-ion batteries by 8 °C during discharge, ensuring their stable operation within the optimal temperature range. Based on the above merits, MSHS@ODA may find useful applications in solar thermal storage and effectively managing the thermal conditions of lithium-ion batteries. [Display omitted] • The unique multi-layer hollow cavity structure of MSHS effectively encapsulates PCMs. • The multi-layer structure of MSHS enhances the heat transfer process. • MSHS@ODA has high latent enthalpy, thermal conductivity and good photothermal conversion efficiency. • MSHS@ODA is superhydrophobic and self-cleaning. • MSHS@ODA has better application prospects in battery thermal management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing high-efficiency solar photothermal conversion and storage (SPCS) technology is significant in solving the imbalance between the supply and demand of solar energy utilization in time and space. Aiming at the current research status in the field of SPCS, this review thoroughly examines the phase change materials and substrates in SPCS systems. It elucidates the design principles and methods of SPCS integrated composites. Comparatively, it analyzes the parameters of various types of SPCS composites in terms of photothermal conversion, thermal conductivity, energy density, and cycling stability. Additionally, the review discusses the trade-offs between each parameter to achieve the most optimal effect of SPCS. By sorting out the current status of the application of SPCS technology in solar thermal/photovoltaic, aerospace, buildings, textile, and other industries, this analysis clarifies the requirements for various latent heat, phase change temperature, and other properties under different environmental conditions. Through a comprehensive discussion of SPCS technology, this paper accurately captures the development trend of efficiently and comprehensively utilizing solar energy by analyzing existing scientific problems. It identifies bottlenecks in SPCS technology and suggests future development directions that need focused attention. The insights gained from this analysis may provide a theoretical basis for designing strategies, enhancing performance, and promoting the application of SPCS. [Display omitted] • SPCS technology show high efficiency for energy utilization and management. • SPCS can solve the imbalance in the supply and demand of solar energy utilization. • The study of the design principles and methods of SPCS is important. • SPCS system can solve the energy crisis and environmental pollution. • SPCS systems have great potential for practical water treatment in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Accelerate the adsorption and the enrichment of iodine ions under the simulated light source. • Concentration of iodine ions of collected condensate was decreased three orders of magnitudes. • High photothermal conversion efficiency (95.39%) and water evaporation rate (1.5879 kg m−2 h−1). Solar steam generation has recently received much attention as a new green and environmentally responsible technology for seawater desalination or wastewater treatment. Hence, a novel and efficient strategy is proposed for removal of radioactive iodine ions from wastewater by SSG method using carbonized conjugated microporous polymers (CCMPs) as photothermal conversion materials. Because of the porous structure and strong light absorption of the CCMPs-based interfacial evaporator and the excellent thermal insulation of the expandable polyethylene sponge, CCMP-1 evaporator achieved a high photothermal conversion efficiency (95.39%) and stable water evaporation rate (1.5879 kg m−2 h−1) at one solar irradiation. In addition, the using of green solar energy as evaporation driving force could accelerate the transferring of iodine ions containing water through CMPs derived solar evaporator, which in turn improved the mass transfer. More importantly, the results of interfacial evaporation experiments on aqueous solutions containing iodine ions (0.2 mmol L−1) revealed that the concentration of iodine ions in the collected condensate was only 0.0027 mmol L−1, which decreased nearly three orders of magnitudes of initial concentration. Also, the iodine ions in water were almost completely enriched by the interfacial evaporator CCMP-1. In view of the fact of big challenge of removal of radioactive iodine ions from wastewater, remaining in current technologies, the findings of this study might provide a simple and efficient solution for treatment of radioactive pollutions contained in wastewater using green solar energy as deriving force via the SSG method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• FMXM with 3D macropore foamy structure and stable properties were synthesized. • FMXM evaporators exhibit excellent light-to-heat conversion than in primary MXM. • FMXM demonstrates excellent wastewater purification capabilities. With the advantages of abundant surface hydrophilic groups and high photothermal conversion efficiency, MXene has attracted much attention in the field of photothermal evaporation for water production, but the drawback of easy accumulation limits its application in solar energy-driven interfacial evaporation. In this work, we present the process of creating three-dimensional macroporous foamy MXene membranes (FMXM) using Ti 3 C 2 MXenes through the sacrificial use of melamine formaldehyde spheres (MFs) templates. In contrast to MXene membrane (MXM) evaporators, FMXM-based evaporators demonstrate exceptional light-to-heat conversion efficiency. The loosely porous structure of the FMXM facilitates a pathway for water transport, while the pleated surface minimizes light reflection. These factors contribute to the high light absorption capability and efficient water transfer rate of the FMXM evaporator. The evaporation rate and evaporation efficiency were 1.54 kg m−2 h−1 and 87.1 %, respectively, at one solar lower radiation intensity. In addition, FMXM exhibits commendable evaporation rates and evaporation efficiencies across various salt solutions, including highly saline brines, which have significant potential for application in solar-assisted desalination processes. The effectiveness of wastewater treatment was assessed, revealing the complete removal of dye contaminants. Our results break through the limitations of MXene material stacking, provide a scalable strategy, and demonstrate its potential in solar driven interfacial evaporation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A multifunctional self-floating photothermal materials (CS-CMPsHM) were synthesized. • The CS-CMPsHM are capable of adsorption antibiotics by interfacial steam generation. • The improved adsorption was due to specific π-π electron-donor–acceptor interactions. • Wastewater purification was achieved in simulated and actual water samples. • The inhibitory effect of the collected water on plant growth was significantly reduced. Solar-driven interfacial evaporation (SDIE) technology holds the promise of purification and removal of organic pollutants from water samples. In this work, an efficient SDIE composed of multifunctional self-floating photothermal materials based on candle soot-coated conjugated microporous polymer hollow spheres (CS-CMPsHM) for treatment of tetracycline (TC) wastewater is reported. By depositing candle soot nanoparticles, CS-CMPsHM achieved excellent interfacial evaporation performance by extending the light absorption. Additionally, the π-π interaction between CMP's unique conjugated network and TC molecules and the well-developed porosity facilitates the capture of target contaminants. The synthesized CS-CMPsHM evaporator demonstrated remarkable properties, i.e., excellent photothermal performance (with superior photothermal conversion efficiency up to 94 % and evaporation rate of 1.55 kg m−2h−1 under one sun irradiation), extremely low wet thermal conductivity (0.075 W m-1K−1), reusability, superior salt resistance, stability, adsorption of pollutants and renewable performance. Furthermore, CS-CMPsHM remains its excellent purification performance from real water samples (the Yellow River) measured by a three-dimensional fluorescence spectrometer. The results of biological toxicity show that the purified water recovered by the SDIE method effectively reduced the phytotoxicity of TC. With its straightforward and scalable manufacturing process, our CS-CMPsHM demonstrates promising potential as advanced photothermal materials for the treatment of various pollutants using SDIE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A simple breath figure method was first employed to fabricate double-layer evaporator. • The PC@PPy has advantages of low cost, simple and scalable manufacture process. • The PC@PPy-EPE shows excellent energy conversion efficiency of 93.57% under 1 sun irradiation. • The PC@PPy-EPE displays excellent salt-resistant performance even in 20 wt% NaCl. Solar interfacial evaporation (SIE) is one of the most prospective solar energy harvesting technologies for solving the scarcity of freshwater resources. Herein, we report a novel photothermal membrane polycarbonate (PC)@polypyrrole (PPy) (PC@PPy) adopting to breath figure method followed by surface chemistry modification, and assemble a double-layer solar interfacial evaporator consisting of PC@PPy photothermal membrane as the upper layer and plant fiber-wrapped expanded polyethylene (EPE) foam as the bottom layer for SIE. Due to the abundant porous structure and strong light absorption of the PC@PPy membrane, excellent insulation of the EPE sponge, the as-prepared PC@PPy-EPE evaporator exhibits a high evaporation of 1.78 kg m-2h−1 and photothermal conversion efficiency of 93.57%, and outstanding evaporation stability and resistance in 16% wt NaCl with an evaporation of 1.58 kg m-2h−1 under 1 sun irradiation. Moreover, the PC@PPy photothermal possess superior flexibility and strong mechanical properties. Coupling with cost-effective, environment-friendly, simple and easily scale-up breath figure preparation method, the PC@PPy-EPE generator has broad application prospects in SIE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fabrication of composite phase change material (CPCM) with splendid light-to-thermal conversion efficiency and enhanced thermal conductivity is of significance for solar energy storage and transition. Hence, we report the creation of a novel CPCM prepared by impregnating 1-hexadecanamine (HDA) into nickel foam (NF) bearing with carbon nanotubes (CNTs) nanoarray via simple vacuum impregnation for photothermal conversion. The NF bearing with CNTs nanoarray employed in this study show outstanding light absorption of higher than 97% originated from its vertical aligned CNTs nanoarray which makes it possible for trapping the light to the most extent. Moreover, the metal nature of NF coupled with the carbon nature of CNTs nanoarray endow it excellent thermal conductivity, e.g. the thermal conductivity of CPCM is improved by 46.3% compared to that of the pure HDA. Thanks to the high latent heat of HDA (240 J/g), the latent heat of the CPCM are measured to be 132.2 J/g. In addition, it shows excellent thermal stability, e.g. the latent heat of the CPCM remains nearly unchanged after 50 times of melting/freezing cycles. Beneficial from their outstanding light absorption, excellent thermal conductivity and high latent heat, the as-prepared CPCM is an ideal platform solar energy harvesting, storage and transition. Under 1sun irradiation, the light-to-thermal conversion efficiency of the CPCM was measured to be 80.10%. Moreover, we detected the temperature-time curve of the CPCM under 30 V voltage, the result show that the CPCM also has great potential in the electro-to-thermal conversion application. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solar-driven interface evaporation has received much attention due to its high-efficiency photothermal conversion efficiency. However, in practical application, it is difficult to monitor whether the evaporation efficiency of photothermal conversion materials can maintain high efficiency and stability for a long time. In this paper, taking surface modified coconut fiber (SCF) as photothermal material, we designed a set of evaporation efficiency monitoring device (EEMD) and demonstrated the strategy of building a solar evaporation efficiency monitoring system. The SCF shows superhydrophilic wettability, and its vertical multi-stage open-framework structure is benefit to the rapid transport of water. Under 1 kW m−2 illumination, evaporation rate of SCF is 1.5 kg m−2 h−1, evaporation efficiency is 90.2%. In 20% NaCl, evaporation rate of SCF is 1.37 kg m−2 h−1, and energy conversion efficiency is 85.3%. In order to monitor the stability of evaporator efficiency, we designed a simple EEMD which applied platinum wire electrode to monitor the change of electric potential in the evaporator. The results show that the electric potential is positively correlated with the evaporation efficiency. EEMD provides a new monitoring method for the efficient and stable operation of solar evaporator. We demonstrate for the first time a new strategy for monitoring the evaporation efficiency of photothermal materials of solar steam generators by evaporation efficiency monitoring device (EEMD). The findings obtained from this study may provide a simple and versatile way for the efficient and stable operation of solar evaporator. Image 1 • Evaporation Efficiency Monitoring Device (EEMD) was designed for solar steam generation. • EEMD provides a new monitoring method for the efficient and stable operation of solar evaporator. • The electric potential is positively correlated with the evaporation efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]