Key Takeaways & Executive Findings
- •• A biomimetic micro-nanostructured superhydrophobic surface is fabricated via ultrafast laser etching, enhancing light trapping and water transport. • Double-transition-metal (V1/2Mo1/2)2CTx MXene exhibits superior photothermal conversion due to elevated joint densities of states. • The composite membrane achieves a high evaporation rate of 2.23 kg m−2 h−1 under one sun, with directed salt harvesting and zero brine discharge. • The evaporator integrates anti-/de-icing, anti-fouling, and antibacterial properties, overcoming compatibility challenges for multifunctionality.
Abstract
Solar-driven interfacial evaporation is one of the most attractive approaches to addressing the global freshwater shortage. However, achieving an integrated high evaporation rate, salt harvesting, and multifunctionality in evaporator is still a crucial challenge. Here, a novel composite membrane with biomimetic micro-nanostructured superhydrophobic surface is designed via ultrafast laser etching technology. Attractively, the double-transition-metal (V1/2Mo1/2)2CTx MXene nanomaterials as a photothermal layer, exhibiting the enhanced photothermal conversion performance due to elevated joint densities of states, which enables high populations of photoexcited carrier relaxation and heat release, provides a new insight into the photothermal conversion mechanism for multiple principal element MXene. Hence, the (V1/2Mo1/2)2CTx MXene-200 composite membrane can achieve a high evaporation rate of 2.23 kg m−2 h−1 under one sun, owing to the enhanced “light trap” effect, photothermal conversion, and high-throughput water transfer. Synergetically, the membrane can induce the directed precipitation of salt at the membrane edge, thus enabling salt harvesting for recycling and zero-emission of brine water. Moreover, the composite membrane is endowed with excellent multifunctionality of anti-/de-icing, anti-fouling, and antibacterial, overcoming the disadvantage that versatility is difficult to be compatible. Therefore, the evaporator and the promising strategy hold great potential for the practical application of solar evaporation.
1. Introduction
Freshwater is an important guarantee for the survival of all living things. However, with the overconsumption and pollution of freshwater resources, the shortage of freshwater resources has become a great challenge to the sustainable development of human society [1, 2]. Meanwhile, fossil energy pollution is becoming increasingly serious and causing grievous jeopardizing security for the environment. Therefore, solving the freshwater resources crisis and carrying out energy transformation is becoming urgent. Conspicuously, extraction of freshwater from the vast oceans utilizing desalination has become one of the most promising ways to obtain freshwater in recent years [3, 4]. However, traditional methods such as reverse osmosis and membrane distillation usually require complex infrastructure, high cost, and fossil energy consumption, which makes it difficult to meet the low-cost, portable water needs of economically underdeveloped western regions, remote island areas, ships, and households [5]. Moreover, these approaches have come under huge energy pressure in the development goals of “Carbon peaked, Carbon neutral” and will be difficult to expand in the future [6]. Therefore, a green, energy-saving, efficient, and environmentally friendly desalination method is urgently needed [7, 8].
Solar-driven interfacial evaporation technology has become one of the most attractive and sustainable solutions to the challenge of global freshwater shortage and energy crisis, due to the high energy efficiency and low energy consumption [9, 10]. However, achieving integrated high evaporation rate, salt harvesting, and multifunctionality in the practical application is still a crucial challenge. Solar evaporator consists mainly of a photothermal conversion layer, an insulating layer for thermal management, and a high-throughput water transfer channel [11–13]. Essentially, the photothermal materials, as a key component of the evaporator, determine the efficiency, lifetime, and quality of the collected freshwater. Currently, the development of photothermal materials is divided into metallic [14–16], semiconductor materials [17, 18], carbon materials [19–21], organic polymers, and some two-dimensional materials. They correspond to the main three photothermal conversion mechanisms of localized plasma surface resonance (LSPR), non-radiative relaxation, and molecular thermal vibration effects, respectively [22, 23]. Among them, MXene as a burgeoning two-dimensional material has become an excellent candidate material for desalination, due to its excellent photothermal conversion performance, abundant surface functional groups, corrosion resistance, and antimicrobial properties [24–26].
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Ruiqi Xu, Hongzhi Cui, Na Wei, Yang Yu, Lin Dai, Xiaohua Chen (2025). Biomimetic Micro-Nanostructured Evaporator with Dual-Transition-Metal MXene for Efficient Solar Steam Generation and Multifunctional Salt Harvesting. Nano-Micro Letters. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40820-024-01612-0
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the main innovation of this study?
The study introduces a biomimetic micro-nanostructured evaporator using double-transition-metal (V1/2Mo1/2)2CTx MXene, which achieves high-efficiency solar steam generation, salt harvesting, and multifunctionality (anti-/de-icing, anti-fouling, antibacterial) in a single device.
How does the double-transition-metal MXene enhance photothermal conversion?
The (V1/2Mo1/2)2CTx MXene exhibits elevated joint densities of states, leading to high populations of photoexcited carrier relaxation and heat release, thereby improving photothermal conversion performance.
What evaporation rate does the composite membrane achieve?
The (V1/2Mo1/2)2CTx MXene-200 composite membrane achieves an evaporation rate of 2.23 kg m−2 h−1 under one sun irradiation.
How does the evaporator handle salt accumulation?
The membrane induces directed precipitation of salt at its edges, enabling salt harvesting for recycling and achieving zero-emission of brine water.
What are the additional functionalities of the evaporator?
The composite membrane exhibits excellent anti-/de-icing, anti-fouling, and antibacterial properties, making it suitable for practical applications in harsh environments.
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