Key Takeaways & Executive Findings
- •• Three-dimensional monolithic carbon-based photothermal materials offer low cost, high solar absorption, tunable structure, and high evaporation rates, making them ideal for solar-driven interfacial water evaporation (SVG). • Interfacial heating systems achieve the highest evaporation efficiency (>80%) compared to bottom and volumetric heating, due to localized heat at the air-water interface. • The review systematically categorizes four types of 3D monolithic carbon-based materials and their design principles, providing a roadmap for future material development. • Key design factors for efficient SVG include water transport, thermal management, salt rejection, and structural optimization, which are critical for practical desalination applications.
Abstract
Photothermal-driven seawater desalination is considered one of the most promising methods to solve the global shortage of freshwater resources. Among them, solar-driven interfacial water evaporation (SVG) is the core process of desalination efficiency and is key to ensuring that photothermal desalination technology has high energy conversion efficiency, simple equipment, and cost-effectiveness. Among all efficient SVG candidate materials, three-dimensional monolithic carbon-based photothermal conversion materials have advantages such as low cost, high light absorption efficiency, good structural tunability, high water evaporation rate, and no secondary pollution. This review first briefly describes the basic principles of SVG, and based on this, introduces the working mechanisms and design principles of efficient SVG materials. Finally, it systematically summarizes and outlines the research progress of four different types of three-dimensional monolithic carbon-based photothermal conversion materials. This review provides a theoretical basis and research guidance for the future construction of three-dimensional monolithic carbon-based photothermal conversion materials and their application in the SVG field.
1. Introduction
Due to rapid population growth, climate variability, and increasingly severe environmental issues, water pollution and resource scarcity have become urgent challenges for humanity [1–5]. To address the global water shortage, various methods have been proposed, such as developing and harvesting groundwater, wastewater treatment, and seawater desalination [6]. Among these, seawater desalination is considered one of the most cost-effective, efficient, and widely applicable methods [7–8]. Increasing research shows that solar-driven water evaporation technology exhibits excellent water evaporation and photothermal conversion efficiencies in desalination. It utilizes abundant and sustainable solar energy as the sole energy input, overcoming the high energy consumption of current desalination technologies, and offers advantages such as high photothermal conversion efficiency, simple implementation, and high benefits, attracting significant research interest [9–10].
Photothermal conversion materials, as the core of solar evaporation technology, require high light absorption, excellent wettability, and high energy conversion efficiency. As shown in Figure 1, commonly used photothermal materials include carbonaceous materials, metal semiconductors, plasmonic metal nanomaterials, and polymer materials [11–15]. Among them, carbonaceous materials stand out due to their inherent high solar absorptivity, ease of preparation, and low cost [16–17]. However, many photothermal materials are in powder form, which leads to high molding costs and complex use and recovery processes. Therefore, researchers have developed monolithic three-dimensional materials, especially those with excellent photothermal performance, which have become a hotspot in the field of solar-driven interfacial water evaporation (SVG).
Based on a survey of the working principles and parameter design of SVG, this paper summarizes existing materials including carbonaceous, metal semiconductor, plasmonic metal nanomaterial, and polymer types, and details the design and research progress of four types of three-dimensional monolithic carbon-based photothermal conversion materials. Finally, by summarizing the advantages and disadvantages of different materials, it proposes future opportunities and challenges for their application in SVG, aiming to provide theoretical guidance and research ideas for the development of next-generation carbon-based photothermal materials.
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Yue Han, Peng Zhang, Xiaoming Zhao (2024). Research progress on three-dimensional monolithic carbon-based photothermal conversion materials for solar-driven interfacial water evaporation. New Carbon Materials. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1872-5805_N
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Frequently Asked Questions
What are the advantages of three-dimensional monolithic carbon-based photothermal materials for solar-driven interfacial water evaporation?
These materials offer low cost, high solar absorption efficiency, tunable structure, high water evaporation rates, and no secondary pollution, making them highly suitable for efficient SVG systems.
How does interfacial heating compare to other heating methods in solar water evaporation?
Interfacial heating localizes heat at the air-water interface, achieving the highest evaporation efficiency (over 80%) compared to bottom heating (30-45%) and volumetric heating (65-80%).
What are the key design factors for efficient solar-driven interfacial evaporators?
Key factors include water transport, thermal management, salt accumulation prevention, and structural design, which collectively influence evaporation rate and energy efficiency.
What types of three-dimensional monolithic carbon-based materials are reviewed in this paper?
The review systematically covers four types: carbon aerogels, carbon foams, carbon fiber-based materials, and graphene-based monolithic structures, highlighting their fabrication and SVG performance.
What is the significance of this review for future research?
It provides a comprehensive theoretical basis and design guidelines for developing next-generation carbon-based photothermal materials, addressing challenges and opportunities in scalable and efficient solar desalination.
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