Raw water temperature can fluctuate significantly throughout the year,with peaks above 30℃in summer and below 15℃in winter.Traditional desalination systems(e.g.,reverse osmosis,RO)face challenges under these varying...Raw water temperature can fluctuate significantly throughout the year,with peaks above 30℃in summer and below 15℃in winter.Traditional desalination systems(e.g.,reverse osmosis,RO)face challenges under these varying temperature conditions.Specifically,while the RO system performs well under high temperatures,its efficiency decreases sharply at lower temperatures.Membrane capacitive deionization(MCDI)is considered as an emergent and promising technology for brackish water desalination.While plenty of studies have been devoted to investigating the impacts of raw water properties(e.g.,salinity,coexisting ions,and natural organic matter)on MCDI performance,the role of water temperatures during the desalination remains under-explored.In this study,we first tested and determined the optimized MCDI operation parameters,such as the cell voltage and feedwater flow rate.Key findings showed that MCDI’s salt removal efficiency remains unaffected by feedwater temperature fluctuations.However,as feedwater temperature increases from 15℃to 40℃,the specific energy consumption for desalination slightly rises by 16.3%,and current efficiency drops by 14.1%.Compared to RO systems,the resilience of MCDI to temperature fluctuations makes it a preferable choice for brackish water treatment in areas with a large temperature difference.展开更多
Solar-driven interfacial evaporation presents a promising approach to address global freshwater scarcity.Current challenges in photothermal membrane design lie in achieving concurrent optimization of high solar absorp...Solar-driven interfacial evaporation presents a promising approach to address global freshwater scarcity.Current challenges in photothermal membrane design lie in achieving concurrent optimization of high solar absorption,low thermal conductivity,and water transport,where existing materials fail to establish effective“water-heat-salt”synergistic regulation at the evaporation interface.This study develops a seamlessly integrated Janus membrane through growing hydrophilic Cu2−xS nanostructure on a hydrophobic carbon cloth substrate with carbon black coating(CB/CC).By precisely engineering the submicron pore architecture within the Cu2−xS layer,we established a synergistic optimization mechanism for interfacial water transport,heat management,and salt rejection.The resulting Janus membrane demonstrates a high evaporation rate of 2.22 kg m−2h−1under 1 sun with an energy efficiency of about 88.4%.Notably,the system maintains stable operation in hypersaline environments(20 wt%NaCl)and achieves continuous 5-h salt-resistant evaporation.Moreover,the Janus membranes can effectively purify various industrial wastewater,including acidic,alkaline,and organic pollutants.This study provides a new strategy for developing high-efficiency portable desalination systems through interfacial engineering of pore architecture.展开更多
While desalination is a key solution for global freshwater scarcity,its implementation faces environmental challenges due to concentrated brine byproducts mainly disposed of via coastal discharge systems.Solar interfa...While desalination is a key solution for global freshwater scarcity,its implementation faces environmental challenges due to concentrated brine byproducts mainly disposed of via coastal discharge systems.Solar interfacial evaporation offers sustainable management potential,yet inevitable salt nucleation at evaporation interfaces degrades photothermal conversion and operational stability via light scattering and pathway blockage.Inspired by the mangrove leaf,we propose a photothermal 3D polydopamine and polypyrrole polymerized spacer fabric(PPSF)-based upward hanging model evaporation configuration with a reverse water feeding mechanism.This design enables zero-liquiddischarge(ZLD)desalination through phase-separation crystallization.The interconnected porous architecture and the rough surface of the PPSF enable superior water transport,achieving excellent solar-absorbing efficiency of 97.8%.By adjusting the tilt angle(θ),the evaporator separates the evaporation and salt crystallization zones via controlled capillary-driven brine transport,minimizing heat dissipation from brine discharge.At an optimal tilt angle of 52°,the evaporator reaches an evaporation rate of 2.81 kg m−2 h−1 with minimal heat loss(0.366 W)under 1-sun illumination while treating a 7 wt%waste brine solution.Furthermore,it sustains an evaporation rate of 2.71 kg m−2 h−1 over 72 h while ensuring efficient salt recovery.These results highlight a scalable,energy-efficient approach for sustainable ZLD desalination.展开更多
Hydrogel-based evaporators offer unique advantages for seawater desalination,yet the high verticalization of water transport channels remains significantly constrained by the random arrangement of polymers.Herein,a ve...Hydrogel-based evaporators offer unique advantages for seawater desalination,yet the high verticalization of water transport channels remains significantly constrained by the random arrangement of polymers.Herein,a versatile and scalable“wet-spinning hydrogel fibers assisted with constrained alignment(HFCA)”strategy is proposed to fabricate hierarchically porous hydrogel fiber evaporator,achieving the perfectly vertical,large-scale spaces between adjacent fibers and smallscale pores within the hydrogel itself.The synergistic role of multiscale pores significantly enhances the siphon effect between fibers and the water transport capacity,while improving thermal localization,light absorption,and salt flux.Moreover,rather than employing the popular“heat isolation model”,a dual“heat supply/insulation model”is introduced for the first time in a three-dimensional evaporator,where a novel heating layer providing additional heat to the bulk water,along with an insulation layer minimizing heat loss.Together,these components create a positive net energy balance,transforming the single cold into a combined cold/hot evaporation manner on the side surface.Using this model,the HFCA evaporator exhibits the high evaporation rate(8.09 kg m−2 h−1,1 KW m−2)among the reported hydrogel-based evaporators and achieves exceptional outdoor evaporation(64.74 kg m−2 for 9 h),accompanied with salt tolerance,anti-oil fouling,and self-cleaning capacities.展开更多
Sustainable water,energy and food(WEF)supplies are the bedrock upon which human society depends.Solar-driven interfacial evaporation,combined with electricity generation and cultivation,is a promising approach to miti...Sustainable water,energy and food(WEF)supplies are the bedrock upon which human society depends.Solar-driven interfacial evaporation,combined with electricity generation and cultivation,is a promising approach to mitigate the freshwater,energy and food crises.However,the performance of solar-driven systems decreases significantly during operation due to uncontrollable weather.This study proposes an integrated water/electricity cogeneration-cultivation system with superior thermal management.The energy storage evaporator,consisting of energy storage microcapsules/hydrogel composites,is optimally designed for sustainable desalination,achieving an evaporation rate of around 1.91 kg m-2h-1.In the dark,heat released from the phase-change layer supported an evaporation rate of around 0.54kg m-2h-1.Reverse electrodialysis harnessed the salinity-gradient energy enhanced during desalination,enabling the long-running WEC system to achieve a power output of~0.3 W m-2,which was almost three times higher than that of conventional seawater/surface water mixing.Additionally,an integrated crop irrigation platform utilized system drainage for real-time,on-demand wheat cultivation without secondary contaminants,facilitating seamless WEF integration.This work presents a novel approach to all-day solar water production,electricity generation and crop irrigation,offering a solution and blueprint for the sustainable development of WEF.展开更多
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.52370090,52300016)China Postdoctoral Science Foundation(Nos.2023M733379,2024M753122).
摘要Raw water temperature can fluctuate significantly throughout the year,with peaks above 30℃in summer and below 15℃in winter.Traditional desalination systems(e.g.,reverse osmosis,RO)face challenges under these varying temperature conditions.Specifically,while the RO system performs well under high temperatures,its efficiency decreases sharply at lower temperatures.Membrane capacitive deionization(MCDI)is considered as an emergent and promising technology for brackish water desalination.While plenty of studies have been devoted to investigating the impacts of raw water properties(e.g.,salinity,coexisting ions,and natural organic matter)on MCDI performance,the role of water temperatures during the desalination remains under-explored.In this study,we first tested and determined the optimized MCDI operation parameters,such as the cell voltage and feedwater flow rate.Key findings showed that MCDI’s salt removal efficiency remains unaffected by feedwater temperature fluctuations.However,as feedwater temperature increases from 15℃to 40℃,the specific energy consumption for desalination slightly rises by 16.3%,and current efficiency drops by 14.1%.Compared to RO systems,the resilience of MCDI to temperature fluctuations makes it a preferable choice for brackish water treatment in areas with a large temperature difference.
基金the financial support of the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.52075309)the Youth Innovation Team of Shaanxi Universities(21JP021).
摘要Solar-driven interfacial evaporation presents a promising approach to address global freshwater scarcity.Current challenges in photothermal membrane design lie in achieving concurrent optimization of high solar absorption,low thermal conductivity,and water transport,where existing materials fail to establish effective“water-heat-salt”synergistic regulation at the evaporation interface.This study develops a seamlessly integrated Janus membrane through growing hydrophilic Cu2−xS nanostructure on a hydrophobic carbon cloth substrate with carbon black coating(CB/CC).By precisely engineering the submicron pore architecture within the Cu2−xS layer,we established a synergistic optimization mechanism for interfacial water transport,heat management,and salt rejection.The resulting Janus membrane demonstrates a high evaporation rate of 2.22 kg m−2h−1under 1 sun with an energy efficiency of about 88.4%.Notably,the system maintains stable operation in hypersaline environments(20 wt%NaCl)and achieves continuous 5-h salt-resistant evaporation.Moreover,the Janus membranes can effectively purify various industrial wastewater,including acidic,alkaline,and organic pollutants.This study provides a new strategy for developing high-efficiency portable desalination systems through interfacial engineering of pore architecture.
基金supported by National Key Research and Development Program of China(2022YFB3804902,2022YFB3804900)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(52203226,52161145406,42376045)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(2232024Y-01,2232025D-02).
摘要While desalination is a key solution for global freshwater scarcity,its implementation faces environmental challenges due to concentrated brine byproducts mainly disposed of via coastal discharge systems.Solar interfacial evaporation offers sustainable management potential,yet inevitable salt nucleation at evaporation interfaces degrades photothermal conversion and operational stability via light scattering and pathway blockage.Inspired by the mangrove leaf,we propose a photothermal 3D polydopamine and polypyrrole polymerized spacer fabric(PPSF)-based upward hanging model evaporation configuration with a reverse water feeding mechanism.This design enables zero-liquiddischarge(ZLD)desalination through phase-separation crystallization.The interconnected porous architecture and the rough surface of the PPSF enable superior water transport,achieving excellent solar-absorbing efficiency of 97.8%.By adjusting the tilt angle(θ),the evaporator separates the evaporation and salt crystallization zones via controlled capillary-driven brine transport,minimizing heat dissipation from brine discharge.At an optimal tilt angle of 52°,the evaporator reaches an evaporation rate of 2.81 kg m−2 h−1 with minimal heat loss(0.366 W)under 1-sun illumination while treating a 7 wt%waste brine solution.Furthermore,it sustains an evaporation rate of 2.71 kg m−2 h−1 over 72 h while ensuring efficient salt recovery.These results highlight a scalable,energy-efficient approach for sustainable ZLD desalination.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.42476227 and 22273042)National Key Research and Development Program of China(2022YFB3804902)+6 种基金the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(2232024Y-01)Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province,China(No.ZR2023YQ042)Key R&D Program of Shandong Province,China(No.2025JMRH0202)China Postdoctoral Science Foundation(No.2023M731838 and No.2024T170446)Qingdao Natural Science Foundation(No.24-4-4-zrjj-197-jch)State Key Laboratory of Advanced Fiber Materials(KF2503)the Opening Project of Sichuan Provincial Engineering Research Center of Functional Development and Application of High Performance Special Textile Materials(Chengdu Textile College)(Project number:2024FDAST-A01).
摘要Hydrogel-based evaporators offer unique advantages for seawater desalination,yet the high verticalization of water transport channels remains significantly constrained by the random arrangement of polymers.Herein,a versatile and scalable“wet-spinning hydrogel fibers assisted with constrained alignment(HFCA)”strategy is proposed to fabricate hierarchically porous hydrogel fiber evaporator,achieving the perfectly vertical,large-scale spaces between adjacent fibers and smallscale pores within the hydrogel itself.The synergistic role of multiscale pores significantly enhances the siphon effect between fibers and the water transport capacity,while improving thermal localization,light absorption,and salt flux.Moreover,rather than employing the popular“heat isolation model”,a dual“heat supply/insulation model”is introduced for the first time in a three-dimensional evaporator,where a novel heating layer providing additional heat to the bulk water,along with an insulation layer minimizing heat loss.Together,these components create a positive net energy balance,transforming the single cold into a combined cold/hot evaporation manner on the side surface.Using this model,the HFCA evaporator exhibits the high evaporation rate(8.09 kg m−2 h−1,1 KW m−2)among the reported hydrogel-based evaporators and achieves exceptional outdoor evaporation(64.74 kg m−2 for 9 h),accompanied with salt tolerance,anti-oil fouling,and self-cleaning capacities.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.52070057)China Postdoctoral Science Foundation(No.2023M730855)Heilongjiang Postdoctoral Fund(No.LBH-Z22183)for financial support。
摘要Sustainable water,energy and food(WEF)supplies are the bedrock upon which human society depends.Solar-driven interfacial evaporation,combined with electricity generation and cultivation,is a promising approach to mitigate the freshwater,energy and food crises.However,the performance of solar-driven systems decreases significantly during operation due to uncontrollable weather.This study proposes an integrated water/electricity cogeneration-cultivation system with superior thermal management.The energy storage evaporator,consisting of energy storage microcapsules/hydrogel composites,is optimally designed for sustainable desalination,achieving an evaporation rate of around 1.91 kg m-2h-1.In the dark,heat released from the phase-change layer supported an evaporation rate of around 0.54kg m-2h-1.Reverse electrodialysis harnessed the salinity-gradient energy enhanced during desalination,enabling the long-running WEC system to achieve a power output of~0.3 W m-2,which was almost three times higher than that of conventional seawater/surface water mixing.Additionally,an integrated crop irrigation platform utilized system drainage for real-time,on-demand wheat cultivation without secondary contaminants,facilitating seamless WEF integration.This work presents a novel approach to all-day solar water production,electricity generation and crop irrigation,offering a solution and blueprint for the sustainable development of WEF.