High Rate Production of Clean Water Based on the Combined Photo‐Electro‐Thermal Effect of Graphene Architecture. Issue 22 (23rd April 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Cui, Linfan; Zhang, Panpan; Xiao, Yukun; Liang, Yuan; Liang, Hanxue; Cheng, Zhihua; Qu, Liangti
• Is Part Of: Advanced materials. Volume 30:Issue 22(2018)
• Page Start: n/a
• Page End: n/a
• Publication Date: 2018-04-23
• Subjects: clean water generation -- desalination -- graphene architecture -- high rate production -- photo‐electro‐thermal effect; Materials -- Periodicals; Chemical vapor deposition -- Periodicals; 620.11
• DOI: 10.1002/adma.201706805
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0935-9648

Abstract

Abstract: The use of abundant solar energy for regeneration and desalination of water is a promising strategy to address the challenge of a global shortage of clean water. Progress has been made to develop photothermal materials to improve the solar steam generation performance. However, the mass production rate of water is still low. Herein, by a rational combination of photo‐electro‐thermal effect on an all‐graphene hybrid architecture, solar energy can not only be absorbed fully and transferred into heat, but also converted into electric power to further heat up the graphene skeleton frame for a much enhanced generation of water vapor. As a result, the unique graphene evaporator reaches a record high water production rate of 2.01–2.61 kg m −2 h −1 under solar illumination of 1 kW m −2 even without system optimization. Several square meters of the graphene evaporators will provide a daily water supply that is enough for tens of people. The combination of photo‐electro‐thermal effect on graphene materials offers a new strategy to build a fast and scalable solar steam generation system, which makes an important step towards a solution for the scarcity of clean water. Abstract : The photo‐electro‐thermal effect is introduced into an all‐graphene hybrid evaporator, in which solar energy can not only be absorbed fully and transferred into heat, but also converted into electric power to further heat up the graphene frame for enhanced water generation. A record high production of clean water is achieved to provide enough daily water use for people.