Autor: |
Nabeela K; Functional Materials, Materials Science and Technology Division, CSIR-National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology (NIIST), Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala 695 019, India.; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh 201 002, India., Thorat MN; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh 201 002, India.; CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory (NCL), Pune, Maharashtra 411008, India., Backer SN; Functional Materials, Materials Science and Technology Division, CSIR-National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology (NIIST), Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala 695 019, India.; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh 201 002, India., Ramachandran AM; Functional Materials, Materials Science and Technology Division, CSIR-National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology (NIIST), Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala 695 019, India., Thomas RT; Functional Materials, Materials Science and Technology Division, CSIR-National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology (NIIST), Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala 695 019, India., Preethikumar G; Functional Materials, Materials Science and Technology Division, CSIR-National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology (NIIST), Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala 695 019, India., Mohamed AP; Functional Materials, Materials Science and Technology Division, CSIR-National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology (NIIST), Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala 695 019, India., Asok A; Functional Materials, Materials Science and Technology Division, CSIR-National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology (NIIST), Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala 695 019, India.; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh 201 002, India., Dastager SG; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh 201 002, India.; CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory (NCL), Pune, Maharashtra 411008, India., Pillai S; Functional Materials, Materials Science and Technology Division, CSIR-National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology (NIIST), Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala 695 019, India.; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh 201 002, India. |
Abstrakt: |
The design and development of scalable, efficient photothermal evaporator systems that reduce microplastic pollution are highly desirable. Herein, a sustainable bacterial nanocellulose (BNC)-based self-floating bilayer photothermal foam (PTF b ) is designed that eases the effective confinement of solar light for efficient freshwater production via interfacial heating. The sandwich nanoarchitectured porous bilayer solar evaporator consists of a top solar-harvesting blackbody layer composed of broad-spectrum active black titania (BT) nanoparticles embedded in the BNC matrix and a thick bottom layer of pristine BNC for agile thermal management, the efficient wicking of bulk water, and staying afloat. A decisive advantage of the BNC network is that it enables the fabrication of a lightweight photothermal foam with reduced thermal conductivity and high wet strength. Additionally, the hydrophilic three-dimensional (3D) interconnected porous network of BNC contributes to the fast evaporation of water under ambient solar conditions with reduced vaporization enthalpy by virtue of intermediated water generated via a BNC-water interaction. The fabricated PTF b is found to yield a water evaporation efficiency of 84.3% (under 1054 W m -2 ) with 4 wt % BT loading. Furthermore, scalable PTF b realized a water production rate of 1.26 L m -2 h -1 under real-time conditions. The developed eco-friendly BNC-supported BT foams could be used in applications such as solar desalination, contaminated water purification, extraction of water from moisture, etc., and thus could address one of the major present-day global concerns of drinking water scarcity. |