Review
Engineering, Environmental
Xinyu Jing, Fangfei Liu, Tursun Abdiryim, Xiong Liu
Summary: This paper reviews the recent advances and challenges of hydrogel-based solar evaporators in addressing water scarcity. Hydrogels, as material platforms, have good water absorption, water retention, and water transport properties, making them suitable for solar-driven water purification. The rational design of hydrogel structures and the combination with photothermal materials are highlighted for improving the photothermal conversion efficiency. The article also discusses strategies to enhance water evaporation efficiency and the challenges of hydrogel-based solar evaporators for water purification.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2024)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Chuxin Lei, Jungjoon Park, Weixin Guan, Yaxuan Zhao, Keith P. P. Johnston, Guihua Yu
Summary: The cryo-assembled templating and polymerization (CTP) method can be used to synthesize sponge-like hydrogels (SPHs) with excellent mechanical properties, and the biomimetically assembled B-SPH with a similar structure to conifer plants can significantly increase water transport rate, achieving efficient solar vapor generation.
ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Fangbin Li, Na Li, Shuxue Wang, Lifang Qiao, Liangmin Yu, Petri Murto, Xiaofeng Xu
Summary: The study demonstrates a monolithic, durable, and self-floating interfacial steam generator with self-healing hydrogels, achieving high water evaporation rates under sunlight and a broad range of salinity. This highlights the future opportunities in self-healing and damage-tolerant materials to improve the performance, durability, and lifetime of interfacial steam generators.
ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Fang Gao, Bin He, Guangxin Zou, Yi Wang, Xiaoli Zhao, Yanjun Shen
Summary: The utilization of solar steam generation via photothermal conversion is an effective and sustainable solution for long-standing water scarcity. In this study, a modified membrane (PVDF/PDA@KH550@Fe3+) was developed by co-depositing Fe3+ and KH550 with polydopamine (PDA), which showed excellent oil resistance. The resulting membrane generated solar steam with a high efficiency of 90.33% and a high evaporation rate of 1.40 kg m-2 h-1 under one sun illumination. Even in oil-contaminated water, the modified membrane still performed well with a evaporation rate of 1.33 kgm-2 h-1 and an evaporation efficiency of 85.49%. This study demonstrates the potential of PVDF/PDA@KH550@Fe3+ membrane for seawater and oily wastewater purification.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yuhao Jiang, Ning An, Qianyun Sun, Bo Guo, Zhining Wang, Weizhi Zhou, Baoyu Gao, Qian Li
Summary: In this study, an environmentally friendly and economical solar evaporator was developed by integrating carbon nanotubes into a hydrogel network. The evaporator showed high solar absorption, good hydrophilicity, and effective prevention of salt crystallization. It achieved a high evaporation rate and removal efficiency of salt ions and dyes from seawater and wastewater.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Qingliang Luo, Yi Yang, Kangkang Wang, Jianyong Yu, Rongwu Wang, Dongxiao Ji, Xiaohong Qin
Summary: Researchers propose a nanoscale multiple interface strategy to enhance the light absorption efficiency of carbon nanofibers for solar-driven water purification. The strategy involves introducing hierarchical nanopores in the fibers, resulting in significant improvement in broadband light absorption. The carbon nanofibers demonstrate high solar-vapor conversion efficiency and are effective in desalination, producing freshwater at a high rate.
SCIENCE CHINA-MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Paper & Wood
Shuai Li, Xiaochun Yang, Yingying He, Yanan Wang, Daogui Liao, Yunhua Chen, Huihong Xie, Hongxia Liu, Li Zhou
Summary: A-CG monolith, a high-efficiency solar evaporation material, demonstrates lower evaporation enthalpy, efficient water transport channels, and a 93.6% solar radiation conversion efficiency. With a wind speed of 3 m/s, it achieves an evaporation rate of 5.67 kg/m²h.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Maria Leonor Matias, Ana Pimentel, Ana S. Reis-Machado, Joana Rodrigues, Jonas Deuermeier, Elvira Fortunato, Rodrigo Martins, Daniela Nunes
Summary: Polyethylene glycol-modified titanium dioxide nanopowders were successfully prepared using a fast solvothermal method under microwave irradiation. The addition of different molar ratios of iron precursor was found to affect the photocatalytic performance of the produced materials. The characterization results showed that Fe-TiO2 nanostructures exhibited improved photocatalytic activity and could be promising for the removal of organic dyes from wastewater.
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Wenxiu Zhao, Haibo Yu, Zhixing Ge, Xiaoduo Wang, Yuzhao Zhang, Yangdong Wen, Hao Luo, Lianqing Liu, Wen Jung Li
Summary: This study proposes a photoacoustic imaging-based method for characterizing GelMA hydrogels. The method utilizes red blood cells as mediators to analyze the distribution and interconnectivity of pores in the hydrogel, and investigates the impact on nutrient diffusion. The findings offer a potential strategy for optimizing hydrogel parameters in biofabrication processes.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Jing Jiang, Huiling Jiang, Ying Xu, Lunhong Ai
Summary: This study developed an advanced solar-powered interfacial evaporator with a three-dimensional porous configuration that effectively converts solar energy into steam. By using nitrogen-doped carbon nanotube@cobalt arrays, the evaporator achieved outstanding broadband absorption across the entire solar spectrum. Under 1 sun irradiation, the evaporator rapidly responded to solar light and generated a stable surface temperature, resulting in high evaporation rate and efficiency. This performance facilitates the continuous production of clean water, effective purification of wastewater, and utilization of additional heat loss for thermoelectric power generation.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Jun Yuan, Xiao Lei, Chenqi Yi, Haoqing Jiang, Feng Liu, Gary J. Cheng
Summary: In this study, 3D hierarchical porous hybrid hydrogel evaporators with embedded carbon black are built through 3D printing method for solar steam generation. The evaporators show high evaporation rate, solar energy conversion efficiency, and great application prospects in seawater desalination and wastewater purification.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Qingxin Zhou, Hao Li, Dingding Li, Beibei Wang, Hui Wang, Jinbo Bai, Shenghua Ma, Gang Wang
Summary: The study demonstrates that the graphene fiber-based Janus membrane evaporator shows superior performance in solar absorbance, photothermal property, and energy conversion efficiency, making it highly effective in seawater desalination and heavy metal wastewater purification.
JOURNAL OF COLLOID AND INTERFACE SCIENCE
(2021)
Review
Chemistry, Physical
Noel Diez, Marla Sevilla, Antonio B. Fuertes
Summary: The review discusses the importance of porous carbons in environmental remediation and emerging energy applications. It highlights sustainable templating strategies using easily removable inorganic particles or polymeric materials. The fundamental aspects, advances, applications, and challenges of producing porous carbons with various morphologies and pore structures are analyzed in detail.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Hongwei Jian, Qingbin Qi, Wei Wang, Dan Yu
Summary: The study developed a carbon nanotube/polyvinyl alcohol porous composite evaporator with high efficiency, broad solar absorption, and Janus structure, which can effectively reject salt and reduce heat loss. The evaporator demonstrated a high evaporation rate and photothermal conversion efficiency in experiments, with a high removal rate for organic matter and heavy metal ions in lake water and wastewater.
SEPARATION AND PURIFICATION TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Polymer Science
Muchu Zhou, Alireza Bandegi, Reza Foudazi
Summary: The interconnectivity of porous polymers obtained from polymerized high internal phase emulsions (polyHIPEs) can be controlled by varying the attractive interdroplet interactions in the HIPE precursor.
Review
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Fei Zhao, Youhong Guo, Xingyi Zhou, Wen Shi, Guihua Yu
NATURE REVIEWS MATERIALS
(2020)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Youhong Guo, Christopher M. Dundas, Xingyi Zhou, Keith P. Johnston, Guihua Yu
Summary: This study introduces a novel antibacterial hydrogel that can efficiently disinfect water sources within a short period of time without the need for energy input, achieving over 99.999% disinfection efficiency. Additionally, the hydrogel exhibits excellent photothermal and biofouling-resistant properties, making it suitable for stable water purification as a solar evaporator under sunlight.
ADVANCED MATERIALS
(2021)
Review
Polymer Science
Youhong Guo, Zhiwei Fang, Guihua Yu
Summary: The review summarizes the research on hydrogels for sustainable energy storage and clean water production, discussing key building blocks, synthetic approaches, and strategies for improvement in various applications.
POLYMER INTERNATIONAL
(2021)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Weixin Guan, Youhong Guo, Guihua Yu
Summary: Carbon-based materials play a crucial role in solar-assisted seawater desalination, offering high solar absorption and cost-effectiveness for interfacial solar vapor generation. This review summarizes the recent research progress on carbon-based materials in this field, highlighting their design principles and strategies for designing antisalt-fouling desalination systems. Challenges and opportunities for carbon-based materials in solar evaporation technology are also discussed.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Hengyi Lu, Wen Shi, Youhong Guo, Weixin Guan, Chuxin Lei, Guihua Yu
Summary: Atmospheric water harvesting (AWH) is a promising strategy to address the global clean water shortage by collecting water from the air. Recent advances in materials design have shown new possibilities for enhancing device performance. The key processes of AWH and the role of materials-water interactions in performance are discussed. Challenges and outlook for further improving AWH are highlighted.
ADVANCED MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Panpan Zhang, Fei Zhao, Wen Shi, Hengyi Lu, Xingyi Zhou, Youhong Guo, Guihua Yu
Summary: The SWEG is a novel super water-extracting gel that can efficiently extract water from VOC-containing water through strong hydrogen bonding effect. After solar distillation treatment, it can achieve up to 99.99% removal ratio of VOCs. This solar water purification system can produce clean water, surpassing other electricity-based competitive technologies.
ADVANCED MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Chuxin Lei, Youhong Guo, Weixin Guan, Hengyi Lu, Wen Shi, Guihua Yu
Summary: Atmospheric water harvesting is a promising strategy for providing sustainable freshwater to landlocked and arid regions. Polyquaternary ammonium salt hydrogels have been developed as an effective material platform for AWH, with superior performance and the ability to produce significant amounts of freshwater.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2022)
Article
Polymer Science
Chuxin Lei, Youhong Guo, Weixin Guan, Guihua Yu
Summary: Solar-based desalination or water purification is considered a promising solution to global water scarcity, utilizing abundant and sustainable solar energy. Polymers, with tunable molecular structures and tailorable physical properties, have shown great potential as candidate materials for solar evaporators.
JOURNAL OF POLYMER SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Youhong Guo, Weixin Guan, Chuxin Lei, Hengyi Lu, Wen Shi, Guihua Yu
Summary: By synthesizing a hygroscopic polymer film composed of renewable biomass, high water uptake at low relative humidity can be achieved, enabling the extraction of atmospheric water and addressing the global water crisis.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Chuxin Lei, Weixin Guan, Youhong Guo, Wen Shi, Yuyang Wang, Keith P. Johnston, Guihua Yu
Summary: Polyzwitterionic hydrogels (PZHs) are proposed as a novel platform for high-salinity solar desalination, utilizing the anti-polyelectrolyte effects to improve solar vapor generation performance. PZHs exhibit a solar evaporation rate approximately 20% higher in high-salinity brines compared to pure water.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Weixin Guan, Chuxin Lei, Youhong Guo, Wen Shi, Guihua Yu
Summary: This article introduces a sorbent-based atmospheric water harvesting technology that can rapidly absorb and desorb water at low relative humidity. The technology utilizes hygroscopic microgels with renewable raw materials and superior performance, providing a sustainable approach for rapid moisture extraction in arid climates.
ADVANCED MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Youhong Guo, Vittoria Bolongaro, T. Alan Hatton
Summary: Carbon capture and sequestration technologies are crucial for mitigating climate change, and solid sorbent-based systems show promise as an alternative to aqueous amine scrubbing. However, their practical implementation faces difficulties in CO2 uptake at low concentrations and regeneration. In this study, sustainable carbon-capture hydrogels (SCCH) were developed with a high CO2 uptake and the ability for solar-powered regeneration, using a biomass gel network and pre-captured moisture to enhance CO2 binding efficiency. The findings highlight the potential of SCCH for sustainable carbon capture to meet global decarbonization targets.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Gehong Su, Shuya Yin, Youhong Guo, Fei Zhao, Quanquan Guo, Xinxing Zhang, Tao Zhou, Guihua Yu
Summary: The study presents a novel conductive self-healing hydrogel with enhanced mechanical and electronic properties, achieved by optimizing the dynamic interfacial interactions between HAPAA and PANI networks.
MATERIALS HORIZONS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Youhong Guo, Guihua Yu
Summary: This article highlights the recent progress of hydrogels as a highly tunable material platform for solar-powered desalination and water purification. Strategies to promote efficient solar-to-vapor conversion are discussed, with emphasis on reducing water evaporation enthalpy, optimizing heat distribution, and tailoring the evaporation surface.
ACCOUNTS OF MATERIALS RESEARCH
(2021)