A Solar-Driven Oil–Water Separator with Fluorescence Sensing Performance

Autor: Xin Li, Wei Lin, Florian Ion Tiberiu Petrescu, Jia Li, Likui Wang, Haiyan Zhu, Haijun Wang, Gang Shi
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2023
Předmět:
Zdroj: Nanomaterials, Vol 13, Iss 19, p 2696 (2023)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 2079-4991
DOI: 10.3390/nano13192696
Popis: Presently, the separation of oil and water through functional membranes inevitably entails either inefficient gravity-driven processes or energy-intensive vacuum pressure mechanisms. This study introduces an innovative photothermal evaporator that uses solar energy to drive oil–water separation while concurrently facilitating the detection of Fe3+ in wastewater. First, by alkali delignification, small holes were formed on the side wall of the large size tubular channel in the direction of wood growth. Subsequently, superhydrophilic SiO2 nanoparticles were in situ assembled onto the sidewalls of the tubular channels. Finally, carbon quantum dots were deposited by spin-coating on the surface of the evaporator, paralleling the growth direction of the wood. During the photothermal evaporation process, the tubular channels with small holes in the side wall parallel the bulk water, which not only ensures the effective water supply to the photothermal surface but also reduces the heat loss caused by water reflux on the photothermal surface. The superhydrophilic SiO2 nanoparticles confer both hydrophilic and oleophobic properties to the evaporator, preventing the accumulation of minute oil droplets within the device and achieving sustained and stable oil–water separation over extended periods. These carbon quantum dots exhibit capabilities for both photothermal conversion and fluorescence transmission. This photothermal evaporator achieves an evaporation rate as high as 2.3 kg m−2 h−1 in the oil–water separation process, and it has the ability to detect Fe3+ concentrations in wastewater as low as 10−9 M.
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