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

摘要

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 Ti_(3)C_(2)Tx(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.