Harnessing overlapped temperature-salinity gradient in solar-driven interfacial seawater evaporation for efficient steam and electricity generation

Solar-driven interfacial water evaporation(SIWE)offers a superb way to leverage concentrated solar heat to minimize energy dissipation during seawater desalination.It also engenders overlapped temperaturesalinity gradient(TSG)between water-air interface and adjacent seawater,affording opportunities of harnessing electricity.However,the efficiency of conventional SIWE technologies is limited by significant challenges,including salt passivation to hinder evaporation and difficulties in exploiting overlapped TSG simultaneously.Herein,we report self-sustaining hybrid SIWE for not only sustainable seawater desalination but also efficient electricity generation from TSG.It enables spontaneous circulation of salt flux upon seawater evaporation,inducing a self-cleaning evaporative interface without salt passivation for stable steam generation.Meanwhile,this design enables spatial separation and simultaneous utilization of overlapped TSG to enhance electricity generation.These benefits render a remarkable efficiency of90.8%in solar energy utilization,manifesting in co-generation of solar steam at a fast rate of 2.01 kg m^(-2)-h^(-1)and electricity power of 1.91 W m^(-2)with high voltage.Directly interfacing the hybrid SIWE with seawater electrolyzer constructs a system for water-electricity-hydrogen co-generation without external electricity supply.It produces hydrogen at a rapid rate of 1.29 L h^(-1)m^(-2)and freshwater with 22 times lower Na+concentration than the World Health Organization(WHO)threshold.

Ionization Engineering of Hydrogels Enables Highly Efficient Salt‑Impeded Solar Evaporation and Night‑Time Electricity Harvesting

Interfacial solar evaporation holds immense potential for brine desalination with low carbon footprints and high energy utilization.Hydrogels,as a tunable material platform from the molecular level to the macroscopic scale,have been considered the most promising candidate for solar evaporation.However,the simultaneous achievement of high evaporation efficiency and satisfactory tolerance to salt ions in brine remains a challenging scientific bottleneck,restricting the widespread application.Herein,we report ionization engineering,which endows polymer chains of hydrogels with electronegativity for impeding salt ions and activating water molecules,fundamentally overcoming the hydrogel salt-impeded challenge and dramatically expediting water evaporating in brine.The sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate-modified carbon black is chosen as the solar absorbers.The hydrogel reaches a ground-breaking evaporation rate of 2.9 kg m−2 h−1 in 20 wt%brine with 95.6%efficiency under one sun irradiation,surpassing most of the reported literature.More notably,such a hydrogel-based evaporator enables extracting clean water from oversaturated salt solutions and maintains durability under different high-strength deformation or a 15-day continuous operation.Meantime,on the basis of the cation selectivity induced by the electronegativity,we first propose an all-day system that evaporates during the day and generates salinity-gradient electricity using waste-evaporated brine at night,anticipating pioneer a new opportunity for all-day resource-generating systems in fields of freshwater and electricity.

Tree‑Inspired Structurally Graded Aerogel with Synergistic Water,Salt,and Thermal Transport for High‑Salinity Solar‑Powered Evaporation

Solar-powered interfacial evaporation is an energy-efficient solution for water scarcity.It requires solar absorbers to facilitate upward water transport and limit the heat to the surface for efficient evaporation.Furthermore,downward salt ion transport is also desired to prevent salt accumulation.However,achieving simultaneously fast water uptake,downward salt transport,and heat localization is challenging due to highly coupled water,mass,and thermal transport.Here,we develop a structurally graded aerogel inspired by tree transport systems to collectively optimize water,salt,and thermal transport.The arched aerogel features root-like,fan-shaped microchannels for rapid water uptake and downward salt diffusion,and horizontally aligned pores near the surface for heat localization through maximizing solar absorption and minimizing conductive heat loss.These structural characteristics gave rise to consistent evaporation rates of 2.09 kg m^(-2) h^(-1) under one-sun illumination in a 3.5 wt%NaCl solution for 7 days without degradation.Even in a high-salinity solution of 20 wt%NaCl,the evaporation rates maintained stable at 1.94 kg m^(-2) h^(-1) for 8 h without salt crystal formation.This work offers a novel microstructural design to address the complex interplay of water,salt,and thermal transport.

Rebuilding the theory of isotope fractionation for evaporation of silicate melts under vacuum condition

Isotope eff ects are pivotal in understanding silicate melt evaporation and planetary accretion processes.Based on the Hertz-Knudsen equation,the current theory often fails to predict observed isotope fractionations of laboratory experiments due to its oversimplified assumptions.Here,we point out that the Hertz-Knudsen-equation-based theory is incomplete for silicate melt evaporation cases and can only be used for situations where the vaporized species is identical to the one in the melt.We propose a new model designed for silicate melt evaporation under vacuum.Our model considers multiple steps including mass transfer,chemical reaction,and nucleation.Our derivations reveal a kinetic isotopic fractionation factor(KIFF orα)αour model=[m(^(1)species)/m(^(2)species)]^(0.5),where m(species)is the mass of the reactant of reaction/nucleation-limiting step or species of diffusion-limiting step and superscript 1 and 2 represent light and heavy isotopes,respectively.This model can eff ectively reproduce most reported KIFFs of laboratory experiments for various elements,i.e.,Mg,Si,K,Rb,Fe,Ca,and Ti.And,the KIFF-mixing model referring that an overall rate of evaporation can be determined by two steps jointly can account for the eff ects of low P_(H2)pressure,composition,and temperature.In addition,we find that chemical reactions,diffusion,and nucleation can control the overall rate of evaporation of silicate melts by using the fitting slope in ln(−ln f)versus ln(t).Notably,our model allows for the theoretical calculations of parameters like activation energy(E_(a)),providing a novel approach to studying compositional and environmental eff ects on evaporation processes,and shedding light on the formation and evolution of the proto-solar and Earth-Moon systems.

Nitrogen-doped microporous graphite-enhanced copper plasmonic effect for solar evaporation

Water scarcity is a global challenge,and solar evaporation technology offers a promising and eco-friendly solution for freshwater production.Photothermal conversion materials(PCMs)are crucial for solar evaporation.Improving photothermal conversion efficiency and reducing water evaporation enthalpy are the two key strategies for the designing of PCMs.The desired PCMs that combine both of these properties remain a challenging task,even with the latest advancements in the field.Herein,we developed copper nanoparticles(NPs)with different conjugated nitrogen-doped microporous carbon coatings(Cu@C–N)as PCMs.The microporous carbon enveloping layer provides a highly efficient pathway for water transport and a nanoconfined environment that protects Cu NPs and facilitates the evaporation of water clusters,reducing the enthalpy of water evaporation.Meanwhile,the conjugated nitrogen nodes form strong metal-organic coordination bonds with the surface of copper NPs,acting as an energy bridge to achieve rapid energy transfer and provide high solar-to-vapor conversion efficiency.The Cu@C–N exhibited up to 89.4%solar-to-vapor conversion efficiency and an evaporation rate of 1.94 kgm^(−2) h^(−1) under one sun irradiation,outperforming conventional PCMs,including carbon-based materials and semiconductor materials.These findings offer an efficient design scheme for high-performance PCMs essential for solar evaporators to address global water scarcity.

Influence of liquid film shape on evaporation performance of agitated thin film evaporator

The agitated thin film evaporator(ATFE),which is known for its high efficiency,force the material to form a film through the scraping process of a scraper,followed by evaporation and purification.The complex shape of the liquid film inside the evaporator can significantly affect its evaporation capability.This work explores how change in shape of the liquid films affect the evaporation of the materials with non-Newtonian characteristics,achieved by changing the structure of the scraper.Examining the distribution of circumferential temperature,viscosity,and mass transfer of the flat liquid film shows that the film evaporates rapidly in shear-thinning region.Various wavy liquid films are developed by using shear-thinning theory,emphasizing the flow condition in the thinning area and the factors contributing to the exceptional evaporation capability.Further exploration is conducted on the spread patterns of the wavy liquid film and flat liquid film on the evaporation wall throughout the process.It is noted that breaking the wavy liquid film on the evaporating wall during evaporation is challenging due to its film-forming condition.For which the fundamental causes are demonstrated by acquiring the data regarding the flow rate and temperature of the liquid film.The definitive findings of the analysis reveal a significant improvement in the evaporation capability of the wavy liquid film.This enhancement is attributed to increasing the shear-thinning areas and maintaining the overall shape of the film throughout the entire evaporation process.

Variations in evaporation from water surfaces along the margins of the Badain Jaran Desert over nearly 60 years and influencing factors

Based on meteorological data collected over nearly 60 years(1960-2017)from four national meteorological stations along the margins of the Badain Jaran Desert,this study analyzed the spatiotemporal variations in evaporation from water surfaces and identified the dominant controlling factors.Methods used included linear trend analysis,linear tendency estimation,the departure method,the rank correlation coefficient-based method,and Multiple Linear Regression(MLR).Results indicate notable spatiotemporal differences in evaporation distribution and evolution.Spatially,average annual evaporation exhibited a pronounced altitude effect,decreasing at a rate of about 8.23 mm/m from east to west with increasing altitude.Temporally,annual evaporation showed significant upward trends after 1996 at the northeastern(Guaizi Lake)and western(Dingxin)margins,with rates of 132 mm/10a and 105 mm/10a,respectively.Conversely,along the northwestern(Ejina Banner)and southern(Alxa Right Banner)margins of the desert,an evaporation paradox was observed,with annual evaporation trending downward at rates of 162 mm/10a and 187 mm/10a,respectively,especially after 1987.The dominant factors controlling evaporation varied spatially:Average annual temperature and relative humidity influended the western margin(Dingxin),average annual temperature was the key factor for the northeastern margin(Guaizi Lake),and average wind speed was crucial for the northern(Ejina Banner)and southern(Alxa Right Banner)margins.

Systematic study of the synthesis of heavy and superheavy nuclei in 48Ca-induced fusion-evaporation reactions

We systematically studied the evaporation residue cross sections of ^(48)Ca-induced reactions on lanthanide and actinide target nuclei under the Dinuclear System(DNS)model framework to check the reliability and applicability of the model.To produce new proton-rich Fl and Lv isotopes through hot fusion reactions in the superheavy element region with Z≥104,we utilized the reactions ^(48)Ca+^(236,238,239) Pu and ^(48)Ca+^(242,243,244,250) Cm.However,owing to the detection limit of available equipment(0.1 pb),only 283Fl and 287−289Lv,which have the maximum evaporation residue cross section values of 0.149,0.130,9.522,and 0.309 pb,respectively,can be produced.Furthermore,to produce neutron-deficient isotopes of actinides near the proton drip line with Z=93−100,we attempted to generate the new isotopes(224−227Pu,228−232,237Cm)using the reactions ^(48)Ca+180,182,183 W and ^(48)Ca+^(184,186,187,192) Os.The maximum evaporation residue cross section values are 0.07,0.06,0.26,and 0.30 nb for the former set of reactions,and 1.96 pb,5.73 pb,12.16 pb,19.39 pb,54.79 pb,and 6.45 nb for the latter,respectively.These results are expected to provide new information for the future synthesis of unknown neutron-deficient isotopes.

Evaluation of Water Losses by Evaporation in the Nakanbe Basin

A numerical approach to heat and mass transfer in a large water reservoir is presented. This water reservoir is likened to a parallelepiped reservoir whose vertical and lower walls are adiabatic and impermeable. The equations that govern natural convection in water are solved by the finite volume method and Thomas’salgorithm. The adequacy between the velocity and pressure fields is ensured by the SIMPLE algorithm. We are going to evaluate the water losses by evaporation from three dams in the Nakanbé basin in Burkina Faso for a period of thirty years, that is to say from January 1, 1991, to March 15, 2020. The three dams have a rate of evaporation greater than 40% of the volume of water stored. Indeed the rate of evaporation in each dam increases with the water filling rate in the reservoir: we have observed the following results for each dam in the Nakanbé basin;for the date of 02/27/1988 to 03/13/2020., the Loumbila dam received a total volume of stored water of 22.02 Mm3 and 10.57 Mm3 as the total volume of water evaporated at the same date. At the Ouaga dam (2 + 3), it stored a water volume of 4.06 Mm3 and evaporated 2.03 Mm3 of its storage volume from 01/01/1988 to 05/07/2016. Finally, with regard to the Bagré dam, it stored 745.16 Mm3 of water and 365.13 Mm3 as the volume of water evaporated from 01/01/1993 to 03/31/2020.

Water Photomolecular Evaporation Due to Light-Mediated Ortho-Para Spin Transitions

Recent discoveries have revealed a groundbreaking phenomenon where light alone, without any thermal input, can induce water evaporation, termed the “photomolecular effect”. This study explores a novel hypothesis that this effect can be explained by ortho-para magnetic spin interactions in water molecules within the water-air interface layer. Water molecules, consisting of hydrogen and oxygen, exhibit different nuclear spin states: ortho-(triplet) and para-(singlet). The interaction of polarized light with these spin states may induce transitions between the rotational levels of ortho- and para-forms due to catalysts like triplet oxygen (O2) in its inhomogeneous magnetic field. Resonance pumping at 532 nm (~18,797 cm−1) due to the transition v1-v2-v3 ~ 0-8-2 (~18,796 cm−1) results in an increase in molecular energy sufficient to overcome intermolecular forces at the water surface, thereby causing evaporation. The proposed ortho-para conversion mechanism involves spin-orbit coupling and specific resonance conditions. This theory provides a quantum mechanical perspective on the photomolecular effect, potentially offering insights into natural processes such as cloud formation and climate modeling, as well as practical applications in solar desalination and industrial drying. Further experimental validation is required to confirm the role of spin interactions in light-induced water evaporation.

Multifunction Zno/carbon hybrid nanofiber mats for organic dyes treatment via photocatalysis with enhanced solar-driven evaporation

ZnO-based photocatalytic materials have received widespread attention due to their usefulness than other photocatalytic materials in organic dye wastewater treatment.However,its photocatalytic efficiency and surface stability limit further applicability.This paper uses a one-step carbonization method to prepare multifunctional ZnO/carbon hybrid nanofiber mats.The carbonization creates aπ-conjugated carbonaceous structure of the mats,which prolongs the electron recovery time of ZnO nanoparticles to yield improved photocatalytic efficiency.Further,the carbonization reduces the fiber diameter of the carbon hybrid nanofiber mats,which quadruples the specific surface area to yield enhanced adsorption and photocatalytic performance.At the same time,the prepared nanofiber mats can increase the evaporation rate of water under solar irradiation to a level of 1.46 kg·m^(-2)·h^(-1)with an efficiency of 91.9%.Thus,the nanofiber mats allow the facile incorporation of photocatalysts to clean contaminated water through adsorption,photodegradation,and interfacial heat-assisted distillation mechanisms.

Recentadvancesincarbon‐basedmaterials for solar‐driven interfacial photothermal conversion water evaporation:Assemblies,structures,applications,and prospective

The shortage of fresh water in the world has brought upon a serious crisis to human health and economic development.Solar‐driven interfacial photothermal conversion water evaporation including evaporating seawater,lake water,or river water has been recognized as an environmentally friendly process for obtaining clean water in a low‐cost way.However,water transport is restricted by itself by solar energy absorption capacity's limits,especially for finite evaporation rates and insufficient working life.Therefore,it is important to seek photothermal conversion materials that can efficiently absorb solar energy and reasonably design solar‐driven interfacial photothermal conversion water evaporation devices.This paper reviews the research progress of carbon‐based photothermal conversion materials and the mechanism for solar‐driven interfacial photothermal conversion water evaporation,as well as the summary of the design and development of the devices.Based on the research progress and achievements of photothermal conversion materials and devices in the fields of seawater desalination and photothermal electric energy generation in recent years,the challenges and opportunities faced by carbon‐based photothermal conversion materials and devices are discussed.The prospect of the practical application of solar‐driven interfacial photothermal conversion evaporation technology is foreseen,and theoretical guidance is provided for the further development of this technology.

Micro–Nano Water Film Enabled High‑Performance Interfacial Solar Evaporation

Interfacial solar evaporation holds great promise to address the freshwater shortage.However,most interfacial solar evaporators are always filled with water throughout the evaporation process,thus bringing unavoidable heat loss.Herein,we propose a novel interfacial evaporation structure based on the micro–nano water film,which demonstrates significantly improved evaporation performance,as experimentally verified by polypyrrole-and polydopamine-coated polydimethylsiloxane sponge.The 2D evaporator based on the as-prepared sponge realizes an enhanced evaporation rate of 2.18 kg m^(−2)h^(−1)under 1 sun by fine-tuning the interfacial micro–nano water film.Then,a homemade device with an enhanced condensation function is engineered for outdoor clean water production.Throughout a continuous test for 40 days,this device demonstrates a high water production rate(WPR)of 15.9–19.4 kg kW^(−1)h^(−1)m^(−2).Based on the outdoor outcomes,we further establish a multi-objective model to assess the global WPR.It is predicted that a 1 m^(2)device can produce at most 7.8 kg of clean water per day,which could meet the daily drinking water needs of 3 people.Finally,this technology could greatly alleviate the current water and energy crisis through further large-scale applications.

Evaluation of Water Transfer Capacity of Poplar with Pectinase Treated under the Solar Interface Evaporation

Poplar wood,which was used as the absorption material for the solar-driven interfacial evaporation,was treated for 3 days,6 days and 9 days with the pectinase,and then was simulated for photothermal evaporation test at one standard solar radiation intensity(1 kW⋅m^(−2)).The effects of pectinase treatment on cell passage and water migration capacity of poplars were analyzed by the mercury intrusion porosimetry,the scanning electron microscope and fractal theory.It was found that the pit membrane and the ray parenchyma cells of poplar wood were degraded and destroyed after pectinase treatment.Compared with the untreated poplar wood,the evaporation rate of three sections of the specimen was changed.Especially the evaporation rate of radial and tangential direction was significantly increased.At the same time,based on the experimental data and fractal dimension deduction,fractal characteristics could be found in that the structure of poplars treated with pectinase.The porosity decreased with the increase of the fractal dimension in a certain range.It was shown that it is feasible to evaluate solar-driven water migration capacity by using fractal theory.

Highly efficient three-dimensional solar evaporator for zero liquid discharge desalination of high-salinity brine

Solar-driven interfacial evaporation is a promising technology for freshwater production from seawater,but salt accumulation on the evaporator surface hinders its performance and sustainability.In this study,we report a simple and green strategy to fabricate a three-dimensional porous graphene spiral roll(3GSR)that enables highly efficient solar evaporation,salt collection,and water production from near-saturated brine with zero liquid discharge(ZLD).The 3GSR design facilitates energy recovery,radial brine transport,and directional salt crystallization,thereby resulting in an ultrahigh evaporation rate of 9.05 kg m^(-2) h^(-1)6 in 25 wt%brine under 1-sun illumina-tion for 48 h continuously.Remarkably,the directional salt crystallization on its outer surface not only enlarges the evaporation area but also achieves an ultrahigh salt collection rate of 2.92 kg m^(-2) h^(-1),thus enabling ZLD desalination.Additionally,3GSR exhibits a record-high water production rate of 3.14 kg m^(-2) h^(-1) in an outdoor test.This innovative solution offers a highly efficient and continuous solar desalination method for water production and ZLD brine treatment,which has great implications for addressing global water scarcity and environmental issues arising from brine disposal.

A Model for Droplet Evaporation

Based on the kinetic theory of gases, a simple model for droplet vaporization, in particular mercury, is developed to study the variation of droplet radius as a function of time. This model is in agreement with more sophisticated models for water, such as the kinetic model and the Kulmala model. Findings indicate that complete evaporation of a 1-mm-radius mercury droplet, in a ventilated room at normal temperatures, should take about 1.8 × 104 seconds or 5 hours. The findings of this study can be utilized to direct further research in the field of toxin remediation.

Janus membrane with enhanced interfacial activation for solar evaporation

Low solar spectrum coverage,high evaporation enthalpy,and undesired salt deposition severely limited the solar-driven interfacial evaporation technology for further sewage purification and seawater desalination.To overcome these problems,we designed an amphiphilic Janus-structured polyaniline(PANI)/ZrC/cellulose acetate(CA)(J-PZCA) membrane.Firstly,the interfacial interaction between PANI and ZrC enhances the photoabsorption and photothermal conversion efficiency.Secondly,low thermal conductivity reduces the heat lost at the interface.Most importantly,ZrC could facilitate interfacial activation,which weakens the intermolecular forces of water by affecting the hydrogen bond.Under 1 solar irradiation(1 sun),the composite membrane exhibits a high evaporation rate of 1.31 kg m^(-2)h^(-1) and an excellent efficiency of 79.4%.In addition,the sewage purification and seawater desalination experiments reveal a remarkable purification capability of J-PZCA membrane.Especially for the treatment of high-concentration salt solution,it realizes a long-term stable evaporation performance due to the excellent salt deposition resistance.Therefore,the J-PZCA membrane constructed in this study provides a new perspective for the design of efficient interfacial evaporation devices.

Simulation-Guided Design of Bamboo Leaf-Derived Carbon-Based High-Efficiency Evaporator for Solar-Driven Interface Water Evaporation

Solar interface water evaporation has been demonstrated to be an advanced method for freshwater production with high solar energy utilization.The development of evaporators with lower cost and higher efficiency is a key challenge in the manufacture of practical solar interface water evaporation devices.Herein,a bamboo leaf-derived carbon-based evaporator is designed based on the light trace simulation.And then,it is manufactured by vertical arrangement and carbonization of bamboo leaves and subsequent polyacrylamide modification.The vertically arranged carbon structure can extend the light path and increase the light-absorbing area,thus achieving excellent light absorption.Furthermore,the continuous distribution of polyacrylamide hydrogel between these vertical carbons can support high-speed water delivery and shorten the evaporation path.Therefore,this evaporator exhibits an ultrahigh average light absorption rate of~96.1%,a good water evaporation rate of 1.75 kg m^(-2) h^(-1),and an excellent solar-to-vapor efficiency of 91.9%under one sun irradiation.Furthermore,the device based on this evaporator can effectively achieve seawater desalination,heavy metal ion removal,and dye separation while completing water evaporation.And this device is highly available for actual outdoor applications and repeated recycling.

Facile synthesis of chromium chloride/poly(methyl methacrylate) core/shell nanocapsules by inverse miniemulsion evaporation method and application as delayed crosslinker in secondary oil recovery

Cr(III)ehydrolyzed polyacrylamide(HPAM)gels have been extensively studied as a promising strategy controlling waste water production for mature oilfields.However,the gelation time of the current technologies is not long enough for in-depth placement.In this study,we report a novel synthesis method to obtain chromium chloride/poly(methyl methacrylate)(PMMA)nanocapsules which can significantly delay the gelation of HPAM through encapsulating the chromium chloride crosslinker.The chromium chloride-loaded nanocapsules(CreNC)are prepared via a facile inverse miniemulsion evaporation method during which the hydrophobic PMMA polymers,pre-dispersed in an organic solvent,were carefully controlled to precipitate onto stable aqueous miniemulsion droplets.The stable aqueous nanodroplets(W)containing Cr(III)are dispersed in a mixture of organic solvent(O1)with PMMA and nonsolvent medium(O2)to prepare an inverse miniemulsion.With the evaporation of the O1,PMMA forms CreNCs around the aqueous droplets.The CreNCs are readily transferred into water from the organic nonsolvent phase.The CreNCs exhibit the tunable size(358-983 nm),Cr loading(7.1%-19.1%),and Cr entrapment efficiency(11.7%-80.2%),with tunable zeta potentials in different PVA solutions.The CreNCs can delay release of Cr(III)and prolong the gelation time of HPAM up to 27 days.

Boosting extraction of Pb in contaminated soil via interfacial solar evaporation of multifunctional sponge

Interfacial solar water evaporation is a reliable way to accelerate water evaporation and contaminant remediation.Embracing the recent advance in photothermal technology,a functional sponge was prepared by coating a sodium alginate(SA)impregnated sponge with a surface layer of reduced graphene oxide(rGO)to act as a photothermal conversion medium and then subsequently evaluated for its ability to enhance Pb extraction from contaminated soil driven by interfacial solar evaporation.The SA loaded sponge had a Pb adsorption capacity of 107.4 mg g^(-1).Coating the top surface of the SA sponge with rGO increased water evaporation performance to 1.81 kg m^(-2)h^(-1)in soil media under one sun illumination and with a wind velocity of 2 m s^(-1).Over 12 continuous days of indoor evaporation testing,the Pb extraction efficiency was increased by 22.0%under 1 sun illumination relative to that observed without illumination.Subsequently,Pb extraction was further improved by 48.9%under outdoor evaporation conditions compared to indoor conditions.Overall,this initial work shows the significant potential of interfacial solar evaporation technologies for Pb contaminated soil remediation,which should also be applicable to a variety of other environmental contaminants.