Nature Inspired MXene-Decorated 3D Honeycomb-Fabric Architectures Toward Efficient Water Desalination and Salt Harvesting

作者：Zhiwei Lei, Xuantong Sun, Shifeng Zhu, Kai Dong, Xuqing Liu, Lili Wang, Xiansheng Zhang, Xiansheng Zhang, Lijun Qu, Xueji Zhang, Xueji Zhang · 发表于：Nano-Micro Letters · 年份：2021 · DOI：10.1007/s40820-021-00748-7 · 被引用次数：301 · 研究领域：Solar-Powered Water Purification Methods、Advanced Sensor and Energy Harvesting Materials、Membrane Separation Technologies

Solar steam generation technology has emerged as a promising approach for seawater desalination, wastewater purification, etc. However, simultaneously achieving superior light absorption, thermal management, and salt harvesting in an evaporator remains challenging. Here, inspired by nature, a 3D honeycomb-like fabric decorated with hydrophilic Ti3C2Tx (MXene) is innovatively designed and successfully woven as solar evaporator. The honeycomb structure with periodically concave arrays creates the maximum level of light-trapping by multiple scattering and omnidirectional light absorption, synergistically cooperating with light absorbance of MXene. The minimum thermal loss is available by constructing the localized photothermal generation, contributed by a thermal-insulating barrier connected with 1D water path, and the concave structure of efficiently recycling convective and radiative heat loss. The evaporator demonstrates high solar efficiency of up to 93.5% and evaporation rate of 1.62 kg m−2 h−1 under one sun irradiation. Moreover, assisted by a 1D water path in the center, the salt solution transporting in the evaporator generates a radial concentration gradient from the center to the edge so that the salt is crystallized at the edge even in 21% brine, enabling the complete separation of water/solute and efficient salt harvesting. This research provides a large-scale manufacturing route of high-performance solar steam generator.