Enhanced Solar Water Desalination by CuCo_(2)S_(4)-decorated Carbon Foam Derived from Waste Plastics

Interfacial solar desalination is an emerging technology for freshwater production,but the finding of novel solar evaporators is still challenging.In the present research,graphitic carbon foam(CF)was synthesized from the upcycling of waste plastic polyethylene terephthalate(PET)waste bottles functionalized with carrollite CuCo_(2)S_(4) as a photothermal layer.Analytical characterization[X-ray diffraction(XRD),Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FTIR),and scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive spectroscopy(SEM-EDS)]confirms the functionalization of carrollite CuCo_(2)S_(4) on graphitic carbon foam.The UV-Vis spectroscopy analysis showed an enhanced optical absorption in the UV-Vis-near IR region(>96%)for functionalized CuCo_(2)S_(4)-CF foam compared to carbon foam(67%).The interfacial solar desalination experiment presented a significantly enhanced evaporation rate of 2.4 kg·m^(−2)·h^(−1) for CuCo_(2)S_(4)-CF compared to that of CF(1.60 kg·m^(−2)·h^(−1))and that of CuCo_(2)S_(4)(1.60 kg·m^(−2)·h^(−1)).The obtained results proved that the newly synthesized CuCo_(2)S_(4)-CF from the upcycled plastic into new material for the photothermal desalination process can enhance the practice of a circular economy to produce fresh water.

Advances in two-dimensional molybdenum ditelluride(MoTe2):A comprehensive review of properties,preparation methods,and applications

In the past decade,molybdenum ditelluride(MoTe2)has received significant attention from the scientific community due to its structural features and unique properties originate from them.In the current review,the properties,various preparation approaches,and versatile applications of MoTe2 are presented.The review provides a brief update on the state of our fundamental understanding of MoTe2 material and also discusses the issues that need to be resolved.To introduce MoTe2,we briefly summarize its structural,optoelectronic,magnetic,and mechanical properties in the beginning.Then,different preparation meth-ods of MoTe2,such as exfoliation,laser treatment,deposition,hydrothermal,microwave,and molecular beam epitaxy,are included.The excellent electri-cal conductivity,strong optical activity,tunable bandgap,high sensitivity,and impressive stability make it an ideal contender for different applications,includ-ing energy storage,catalysis,sensors,solar cells,photodetectors,and transistors.The performance of MoTe2 in these applications is systematically introduced along with mechanistic insights.At the end of the article,the challenges and possible future directions are highlighted to further modify MoTe2 material for the numerous functionalities.Therefore,the availability of different phases and layer structures implies a potential for MoTe2 to lead an era of two-dimensional materials that began from the exfoliation of graphene.