Low cost, robust, environmentally friendly, wood supported 3D-hierarchical Cu3SnS4 for efficient solar powered steam generation

Nazakat Ali; Saghir Abbas; Yucai Cao; Hira Fazal; Jun Zhu; Chin Wei Lai; Jiantao Zai; Xuefeng Qian

doi:10.1016/j.jcis.2022.02.012

Low cost, robust, environmentally friendly, wood supported 3D-hierarchical Cu₃SnS₄ for efficient solar powered steam generation

J Colloid Interface Sci. 2022 Jun:615:707-715. doi: 10.1016/j.jcis.2022.02.012. Epub 2022 Feb 7.

Authors

Nazakat Ali¹, Saghir Abbas¹, Yucai Cao², Hira Fazal¹, Jun Zhu³, Chin Wei Lai⁴, Jiantao Zai⁵, Xuefeng Qian⁶

Affiliations

¹ School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering and State Key Laboratory of Metal Matrix Composites, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, PR China.
² State Key Laboratory of Polyolefins and Catalysis, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Catalysis Technology for Polyolefins, Shanghai Research Institute of Chemical Industry Co., Ltd., Shanghai, PR China.
³ National Engineering Research Center for Nanotechnology, 28 East Jiangchuan Rd, Shanghai 200241, PR China.
⁴ Nanotechnology and Catalysis Research Centre (NANOCAT), Institute For Advanced Studies (IAS), University of Malaya, 3rd Floor, Block A, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
⁵ School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering and State Key Laboratory of Metal Matrix Composites, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, PR China; State Key Laboratory of Polyolefins and Catalysis, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Catalysis Technology for Polyolefins, Shanghai Research Institute of Chemical Industry Co., Ltd., Shanghai, PR China. Electronic address: zaijiantao@sjtu.edu.cn.
⁶ School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering and State Key Laboratory of Metal Matrix Composites, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, PR China. Electronic address: xfqian@sjtu.edu.cn.

PMID: 35168019
DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2022.02.012

Abstract

Solar steam generation has great potential in alleviating freshwater crises, particularly in regions with accessible seawater and abundant insolation. Inexpensive, efficient, and eco-friendly photothermal materials are desired to fabricate sunlight-driven evaporation devices. Here, we have designed an economical strategy to fabricate a high-performance wood-based solar steam generation device. In current study, 3D-hierarchical Cu₃SnS₄ has been loaded on wood substrates of variable sizes via an in-situ solvothermal method. Considering the water transportation capacity and thermal insulation property of wood, an enhanced light absorption was achieved by a uniform coating of Cu₃SnS₄ on the inside and outside of the 3D porous structure of the wood. Thanks for the synergistic effect of Cu₃SnS₄ and wood substrate, the obtained composite endorsed high-performance solar steam generation with a steam generation efficiency of 90% and an evaporation rate as high as 1.35 kg m^-2h^-1 under one sun.

Keywords: High evaporation rate; In-situ solvothermal coating; Solar steam generation device; Ternary chalcogenide Cu(3)SnS(4); Wood substrate.

MeSH terms

Solar Energy*
Steam
Sunlight
Water Purification* / methods
Wood

Substances

Steam