Manipulating 2D Membrane Interlayer Channels with Accelerated Mass-Transfer Behavior to Boost Solar Desalination

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Chemical Engineering
• Environmental Science

Background:

• Freshwater scarcity drives the need for efficient desalination technologies.
• Solar-driven steam generation (SSG) is a promising sustainable water purification method.
• Graphene oxide (GO) membranes show potential for SSG but face challenges with stacking defects and inefficient water transport.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a fundamental mass-transfer approach for optimizing SSG evaporators.
• To enhance the performance of GO-based membranes for solar water desalination.
• To overcome limitations of stacking defects and dead zones in GO membranes.

Main Methods:

• A universal multi-force-fields-based method was employed to regularize membrane channels.
• Mechanical elimination of interlayer stackings and defects in GO membranes.
• Integration of the optimized membrane with a structurally optimized substrate.

Main Results:

• The optimized 4Laponite@GO-1 membrane achieved an evaporation rate of 2.782 kg m⁻² h⁻¹.
• Evaporation efficiency reached 94.48%, comparable to 3D evaporators.
• The membrane demonstrated excellent cycling stability (10 days) and tolerance to extreme pH and salinity.

Conclusions:

• The multi-force-fields method effectively enhances mass transfer and SSG performance in GO membranes.
• The optimized GO membrane offers a robust and efficient solution for sustainable water purification.
• This strategy facilitates the broader application of GO membranes in desalination technologies.