Highly efficient solar water evaporation of TiO2@TiN hyperbranched nanowires-carbonized wood hierarchical photothermal conversion material. (December 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Ren, P.; Li, J.; Zhang, X.; Yang, X.
• Is Part Of: Materials today energy. Volume 18(2020)
• Publication Date: 2020-12
• Subjects: Titanium nitride -- Core-shell nanowire -- Solar water evaporation -- Reduced vaporization enthalpy -- Reusability; 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.2020.100546
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2468-6069

Abstract

Abstract: Solar water evaporation is a significant technique for water purification, desalination, and distillation. The approaches to obtain low-cost, low toxic and reusable material with high solar water evaporation efficiency are essential to solve the problem of drinking water shortage. Herein, we first synthesize TiO2 @TiN hyperbranched nanowires on carbonized wood (CW) for solar water evaporation with a high solar water evaporation rate of 1.5252 kg m −2 h −1 and a solar thermal conversion efficiency about 94.01% under 1 kW m −2 simulated solar irradiation. The outstanding solar water evaporation performance can be contributed to the unique design of combining TiO2 @TiN hyperbranched nanowires with CW. TiO2 @TiN hyperbranched nanowires have better solar light absorption and higher specific area to evaporate water than TiN nanoparticles and nanotubes. At the same time, the evaporation enthalpy of water in the hyperbranched nanowires deceases obviously compared with that of normal bulk water. Besides, the hierarchical material possesses good stability and high solar evaporation efficiency both in seawater and in deionized water. Graphical abstract: TiO2 @TiN hyperbranched nanowires-carbonized wood as a photothermal conversion material for solar water evaporation with a high solar light absorption of 97.42% is prepared by hydrothermal method and nitridation in NH3 . The absorbed water in it has lower enthalpy than the normal water leading to the high evaporation rate of 1.5252 kg m −2 h −1 and estimated photothermal conversion efficiency of 94.01%. Image 1 Highlights: TiO2 @TiN hyperbranched nanowires are firstly synthesized on carbonized wood as an innovative photothermal conversion material. The hybrid material has high solar light absorption of 97.42%, water evaporation rate of 1.5252 kg m −2 h −1, and photothermal conversion efficiency of 94.01%. The absorbed water in the hybrid material has lower vaporization enthalpy. The hybrid material can be reused due to the stable phase composition and nanostructure.