Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 19, 2026

Proof-of-Concept for Gas-Entrapping Membranes Derived from Water-Loving SiO2/Si/SiO2 Wafers for Green Desalination
Published on: March 1, 2020
Janus PAN/PVDFC Photothermal Nanofibrous Membrane-Based Suspended Evaporator for Desalination and Salt Collection
Kun Liu1, Shuying Li1, Youmin Sun1
1Resources and Environment Innovation Institute, College of Municipal and Environmental Engineering, Shandong Jianzhu University, Jinan, Shandong Province 250101, China.
Abstract:
Solar-driven interfacial evaporation desalination has been widely used in seawater desalination due to its cleanliness, efficiency, and sustainability advantages. However, the evaporation systems present a synergistic requirement for the total evaporation rate and salt collection. In this work, a photothermal Janus polyacrylonitrile/polyvinylidene fluoride-carbon black nanofibrous membrane (PAN/PVDFC NFM) with synergistic optimization of high light absorption rates and hydraulic transport was produced using electrospinning technology. Meanwhile, a tailored suspended solar-driven interfacial evaporator based on the Janus PAN/PVDFC NFM was designed to collect freshwater and salt resources. The results show that the evaporator achieves a total evaporation rate of 1.85 kg m-2 h-1 under 1 kW m-2 irradiation. Notably, the Janus PAN/PVDFC NFM-based evaporator exhibited stable adaptability to organic dye wastewater, high-salinity brine, and acidic and alkaline wastewater. Moreover, its adjustable structural mechanism enables the efficient collection of freshwater and salt resources. This study provides a promising pathway for the collection of freshwater and salt resources through tailored solar-driven interfacial desalination systems.

