Flower-Shaped Carbon Nanomaterials for Highly Efficient Solar-Driven Water Evaporation

Nan Wang; Haifeng Xu; Jixin Yao; Bo Yang; Guang Li; Zhi Bai

doi:10.3390/molecules27217163

Flower-Shaped Carbon Nanomaterials for Highly Efficient Solar-Driven Water Evaporation

Molecules. 2022 Oct 23;27(21):7163. doi: 10.3390/molecules27217163.

Authors

Nan Wang¹, Haifeng Xu^{1

2}, Jixin Yao³, Bo Yang⁴, Guang Li⁵, Zhi Bai⁶

Affiliations

¹ Key Laboratory of Spin Electron and Nanomaterials of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, School of Mchanical and Electronic Engineering, Suzhou University, Suzhou 234000, China.
² School of Information Engineering, Suzhou University, Suzhou 234000, China.
³ Universities Joint Key Laboratory of Photoelectric Detection Science and Technology in Anhui Province, School of Electronic Information and Electrical Engineering, Hefei Normal University, Hefei 230601, China.
⁴ School of Physics and Electronic Information, Huaibei Normal University, Huaibei 235000, China.
⁵ Anhui Key Laboratory of Information Materials and Devices, Institute of Physical Science and Information Technology, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, China.
⁶ School of Mechanical and Electronic Engineering, Suzhou University, Suzhou 234000, China.

Abstract

Solar-driven interface water evaporation is an energy-saving, environmentally friendly, and efficient seawater desalination and wastewater treatment technology. However, some challenges still restrict its further industrial development, such as its complex preparation, heavy metal pollution, and insufficient energy utilization. In this study, a photothermal layer based on flower-shaped carbon nanoparticles is presented for highly efficient solar-driven interface evaporation for water treatment applications. The results show that the surface of the prepared carbon nanomaterials presents a flower-shaped structure with an excellent light absorption capacity and a large specific surface area. Moreover, the C-5.4 (Carbon-5.4) sample has an evaporation rate of 1.87 kg/m²/h and an evaporation efficiency of 87%-far higher than most photothermal materials. In addition, carbon nanomaterials have an excellent ion scavenging capacity, dye purification capacity, and outdoor practical performance. This study provides a new solution for the application of carbon nanomaterials in the field of water purification.

Keywords: carbon nanomaterials; solar-driven water evaporation; water purification.

Abstract

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