Superhydrophilic and mechanically robust phenolic resin as double layered photothermal materials for efficient solar steam generation. (June 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Liu, Fang; Liang, Weidong; Wang, Chengjun; Xiao, Chaohu; He, Jingxian; Zhao, Guohu; Zhu, Zhaoqi; Sun, Hanxue; Li, An
• Is Part Of: Materials today energy. Volume 16(2020)
• Publication Date: 2020-06
• Subjects: Solar steam generation -- Phenolic aldehyde foam -- Photothermal material; Energy development -- Periodicals; Energy industries -- Periodicals; Power resources -- Periodicals; Energy policy -- Periodicals; Energy development; Energy industries; Energy policy; Power resources; Electronic journals; Periodicals; 621.042
• DOI: 10.1016/j.mtener.2019.100375
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2468-6069

Abstract

Abstract: Solar steam generation has been emerged as one of efficient and green technologies for harvesting solar energy for seawater desalination and wastewater treatment. Herein, we demonstrate a facile approach for scalable fabrication of phenolic aldehyde foams (PAFs), which were synthesized by polymerization of formaldehyde with phenol and hydroquinone through one-step hydrothermal method, as double layered photothermal materials for efficient solar steam generation. The resulting PAFs show high porosity of higher than 93.6%, low apparent density (0.152–0.167 g cm −3 ), low thermal conductivity (0.034–0.054 W m −1 k −1 ) and a good mechanical strength (0.07 MPa under 30% strain). The presence of close-packed open channels, by combination with their surface superhydrophilicity (water contact angle ~ 0°), ensure the PAFs a rapid transportation of water molecules. After facile coating a thin layer of carbon soot on PAFs, a double layered photothermal materials with enhanced light absorption (~90%) was fabricated (named as CPAFs). Under 1 sun irradiation, the CPAFs possess a high water evaporation rate of 1.4922 kg m −2 h −1 and a solar conversion efficiency of 87.86%, making it promising candidate as solar generators for efficient solar desalination. By combining with their simple, scalable and cost-efficient manufacture process, it is suggested that such CPAFs may have great potentials for real applications. Highlights: Superhydrophilic and mechanically robust phenolic resin was prepared for solar steam generation. They possess high evaporation efficiency of 87.86–87.29% under 1 sun irradiation. They have advantages of cost-efficient, simple and scalable manufacture process.