Janus Biopolymer Sponge with Porous Structure Based on Water Hyacinth Petiole for Efficient Solar Steam Generation

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Environmental Science
• Chemical Engineering

Background:

• Conventional solar desalination methods face challenges like complex fabrication, high costs, and salt crystallization.
• There is a growing need for sustainable and energy-efficient freshwater production technologies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a sustainable and high-performance solar evaporator for desalination using readily available biomass.
• To investigate the properties and performance of a Janus evaporator derived from water hyacinth petiole (WHP).

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a Janus evaporator using freeze-dried water hyacinth petiole (WHP) sponge.
• Coating WHP with carbon nanotubes/ethyl cellulose (WHP-C) for enhanced photothermal properties.
• Hydrophobic modification of WHP-C with fluorocarbon (WHP-CH) to improve salt resistance and water repellency.

Main Results:

• The WHP-C evaporator achieved a solar steam generation rate of 1.50 kg m^-2 h^-1 under 1 sun irradiation.
• The WHP-CH exhibited excellent water repellency and salt resistance during long-term desalination tests.
• Demonstrated the importance of a stable wet surface for efficient water supply and vapor escape in solar evaporators.

Conclusions:

• The WHP-based Janus evaporator offers a sustainable, cost-effective, and high-performance solution for solar steam generation and desalination.
• This work highlights the potential of utilizing biomass waste, such as water hyacinth, for developing advanced materials for environmental applications.
• The developed evaporator provides a promising pathway towards environmentally friendly freshwater production through solar energy.