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Wang Y, Zhao W, Lee Y, Li Y, Wang Z, Tam KC. Thermo-adaptive interfacial solar evaporation enhanced by dynamic water gating. Nat Commun 2024; 15:6157. [PMID: 39039082 PMCID: PMC11263690 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-50279-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2024] [Accepted: 07/04/2024] [Indexed: 07/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Solar-driven evaporation offers a sustainable solution for water purification, but efficiency losses due to heat dissipation and fouling limit its scalability. Herein, we present a bilayer-structured solar evaporator (SDWE) with dynamic fluidic flow mechanism, designed to ensure a thin water supply and self-cleaning capability. The porous polydopamine (PDA) layer on a nickel skeleton provides photothermal functionality and water microchannels, while the thermo-responsive sporopollenin layer on the bottom acts as a switchable water gate. Using confocal laser microscopy and micro-CT, we demonstrate that this unique structure ensures a steady supply of thin water layers, enhancing evaporation by minimizing latent heat at high temperatures. Additionally, the system initiates a self-cleaning process through bulk water convection when temperature drops due to salt accumulation, thus maintaining increased evaporation efficiency. Therefore, the optimized p-SDWE sample achieved a high evaporation rate of 3.58 kg m-2 h-1 using 93.9% solar energy from 1 sun irradiation, and produces 18-22 liters of purified water per square meter of SDWE per day from brine water. This dynamic water transport mechanism surpasses traditional day-night cycles, offering inherent thermal adaptability for continuous, high-efficiency evaporation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Wang
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, Ontario, N2L 3G1, Canada.
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China.
| | - Weinan Zhao
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, Ontario, N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Yebin Lee
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, Ontario, N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Yuning Li
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, Ontario, N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Zuankai Wang
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China
| | - Kam Chiu Tam
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, Ontario, N2L 3G1, Canada.
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Zhao W, Wang Y, Han M, Xu J, Tam KC. Surface Modification, Topographic Design and Applications of Superhydrophobic Systems. Chemistry 2022; 28:e202202657. [PMID: 36315127 DOI: 10.1002/chem.202202657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Superhydrophobic surfaces with expanded wetting behaviors, like tunable adhesion, hybrid surface hydrophobicity and smart hydrophobic switching have attracted increasing attention due to their broad applications. Herein, the construction methods, mechanisms and advanced applications of special superhydrophobicity are reviewed, and hydro/superhydrophobic modifications are categorized and discussed based on their surface chemistry, and topographic design. The formation and maintenance of special superhydrophobicity in the metastable state are also examined and explored. In addition, particular attention is paid to the use of special wettability in various applications, such as membrane distillation, droplet-based electricity generators and anti-fogging surfaces. Finally, the challenges for practical applications and future research directions are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weinan Zhao
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, Ontario, N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Yi Wang
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, Ontario, N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Mei Han
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, Ontario, N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Jiaxin Xu
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, Ontario, N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Kam Chiu Tam
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, Ontario, N2L 3G1, Canada
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