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Hierarchical MXene Hydrogel Evaporators with Self‐Regulating Water‐Thermal Management for High‐Efficiency Removal of Multipollutants via Solar‐Energy Utilization
Summary
Engineers designed a solar-powered water purification device using MXene nanomaterials that can remove up to 99% of microplastics from water while also filtering out heavy metals and killing bacteria. The device converts sunlight into heat to evaporate and purify contaminated water, and it remains effective even after exposure to extreme cold and UV aging. This technology could provide a low-cost way to produce clean drinking water in areas affected by microplastic pollution.
Solar-driven interfacial evaporation is promising for seawater desalination and wastewater purification. However, its practical application remains limited by several challenges, including low effectiveness in microplastic removal, insufficient stability under extreme environmental conditions, and lack of well-integrated multifunctional optimization. In this work, a multifunctional, self-floating interfacial solar evaporator is designed by incorporating MXene (Ti3C2Tx) with excellent photothermal conversion efficiency and silver nanowires (AgNWs), offering synergistic photothermal and antimicrobial properties. The rational structural design, combined with exceptional water transfer capability, enables unprecedented evaporation performance. The PAMA-MA evaporator achieves a high photothermal conversion efficiency of 95.73% and an impressive evaporation rate of 4.06 kg m-2 h-1 under one-sun irradiation. Beyond freshwater production, it demonstrates versatile purification capabilities, achieving up to 99% microplastic removal, excellent heavy metal retention, and outstanding antibacterial properties. A one-week ultraviolet ageing test further confirms the long-term durability of the evaporator for desalination applications. Notably, the device maintains its high photothermal conversion efficiency even after exposure to extremely low temperatures (-30 °C for 48 hours), confirming its robust operational stability under harsh environmental conditions. This study offers an efficient and sustainable solution for interfacial solar evaporation, opening new avenues for advancements in seawater desalination and water purification technologies.
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