A salt-resistant and self-floating Janus evaporator by electrospinning for stable solar desalination

Abstract

Facing the shortage of freshwater resources, solar desalination technology provides a solution with its green and environmentally friendly features. However, the traditional desalination strategy has some problems, such as low evaporation efficiency and salt deposition. Herein, asymmetric nanofiber membranes were prepared by electrospinning technology that can realize photothermal conversion and reduce heat loss because of the unique double-layer structure. This evaporator can achieve stable and efficient desalination evaporation efficiencies in highly concentrated brines. What's more, the hydrophilic membrane polyacrylonitrile (PAN) modified with sodium alginate (SA) hydrogel can realize efficient ion distribution. This work presents a new design strategy for the development of highly efficient photothermal conversion materials for use in solar-driven evaporation.