Search

Solar energy is one of the most efficient origins of energy for a wide range of environmentally beneficial purposes. Water desalination by steam generation with the help of solar energy is not only an economical and straightforward approach, but it also utilizes free energy sources to solve the problem of increasing freshwater scarcity. Solar water evaporation is an essential component of the low‐energy method for generating fresh water, which is required for economic development and human health. Freshwater productivity determines how effectively the system captures incoming solar energy and transforms it into usable heat. Effective water distillation has recently gained a lot of attention. The photothermal conversion process is built on the performance of the evaporator. This review thoroughly examines the most recent developments in photothermal materials, structure design, and engineering strategies, including design principles for highly efficient photothermal conversion, thermal management, water transport phenomena, salt rejection behavior, and improved evaporation rate. The prospective applications of this technique in saline water desalination, waste water purification, and energy generation are highlighted. Furthermore, the most recent scientific advancements are utilized to demonstrate the potential, prospects, and challenges of solar‐driven evaporation in energy conversion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The progression of photothermal materials with broad solar absorption and improved photothermal conversion efficiency is critical for developing interfacial solar steam generation (ISSG)‐based water desalination and purification systems. This green solar‐driven water vaporization technology has regained popularity as a sustainable solution to water shortage. Among many other photothermal materials, natural porous material‐based photothermal evaporators have piqued the interest of researchers owing to their biodegradability, abundance, low thermal conductivity, low cost, natural capillary mechanism, and hydrophilicity. In this review, recent advances in photothermal material design based on various natural porous materials are reported, systems considering contact mode and the water transportation route are categorized, optical absorbance is assessed, and thermal management issues and water purification as well as desalination applications are discussed. This review stimulates further investigation and research interest in the utilization of natural porous materials for large‐scale ISSG‐based application implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A chemically treated luffa sponge (LS) derived from the ripe fruit of the Luffa cylindrica (LC) plant is investigated as an efficient solar photothermal conversion material for water purification applications for the very first time. Hydrophilicity and solar absorbance of the LS are enhanced by dopamine treatment and candle soot surface coating. The fabricated surface modified LS (SM‐LS) leads to a superb solar evaporation rate of water as high as 1.30 kg m−2 h−1, which is five times higher than that of the freshwater under 1 sun illumination. The outdoor experiment shows an excellent solar evaporation efficiency of 79.98%, which is significantly higher than other low‐cost materials. Such SM‐LS can be further applied to desalinate seawater, where it is shown that 1 m2 of surface‐modified LS can produce 7.5–8 L of freshwater per day. Hence, the proposed system can be utilized in remote areas and refugee camps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • 1st demonstration of novel light-trapping texture on the surface of bio-hydrogel. • Evaporation rate of 2.851 kg m−2h−1 and efficiency of 91.17 % achieved under 1 sun. • 1st demonstration of TaTe 2 QDs with antibacterial & anti-biofouling properties. • Achieved reduction rates of 96.49% and 97.58% for S. aureus and E. coli bacteria. • Higher cost-effectiveness (0.59 kg h−1 $−1) than other desalination system. The light-trapping texture on the surface of the photothermal evaporator for an interfacial steam generation has been largely overlooked so far. Here, we present a novel light-trapping texture on the surface of bio-hydrogel fabricated by a facile low-cost method that improves solar absorption. Light-trapping textures trap incoming solar irradiance so that heat energy conversion can be accomplished with minimal reflection loss, improving photothermal energy conversion efficiency compared to flat textures. A superb seawater evaporation rate of 2.851 kg m−2h−1 and an evaporation efficiency of 91.17 % have been achieved under 1 sun illumination. The decoration of bio-hydrogel with TaTe 2 quantum dots (QDs) exhibits superior antibacterial and anti-biofouling properties, which are reported for the first time in this research. TaTe 2 QDs have a remarkable affinity for sulfur proteins in bacterial DNA, which helps to destroy them at a rate of over 95 % with this approach. Experiments conducted with S. aureus and E. coli bacteria revealed that TaTe 2 QDs have superior anti-biofouling and antibacterial properties, with 96.49 and 97.58 % reduction rates, respectively. The low-cost fabrication method, anti-biofouling and antibacterial characteristics, and superior seawater desalination rate make it appropriate for extensive practical use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]