Strontium-Cobaltite-Based Perovskite (SrCoO<sub>3</sub>) for Solar-Driven Interfacial Evaporation Systems for Clean Water Generation

Solar-driven evaporation technology is often used in areas with limited access to clean water, as it provides a low-cost and sustainable method of water purification. Avoiding salt accumulation is still a substantial challenge for continuous desalination. Here, an efficient solar-driven water harves...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Miao He, Muneerah Alomar, Areej S. Alqarni, Naila Arshad, Muhammad Akbar, Muhammad Yousaf, Muhammad Sultan Irshad, Yuzheng Lu, Qiang Liu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2023-04-01
Series:Nanomaterials
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2079-4991/13/8/1420
Description
Summary:Solar-driven evaporation technology is often used in areas with limited access to clean water, as it provides a low-cost and sustainable method of water purification. Avoiding salt accumulation is still a substantial challenge for continuous desalination. Here, an efficient solar-driven water harvester that consists of strontium-cobaltite-based perovskite (SrCoO<sub>3</sub>) anchored on nickel foam (SrCoO<sub>3</sub>@NF) is reported. Synced waterways and thermal insulation are provided by a superhydrophilic polyurethane substrate combined with a photothermal layer. The structural photothermal properties of SrCoO<sub>3</sub> perovskite have been extensively investigated through state-of-the-art experimental investigations. Multiple incident rays are induced inside the diffuse surface, permitting wideband solar absorption (91%) and heat localization (42.01 °C @ 1 sun). Under 1 kW m<sup>−2</sup> solar intensity, the integrated SrCoO<sub>3</sub>@NF solar evaporator has an outstanding evaporation rate (1.45 kg/m<sup>2</sup> h) and solar-to-vapor conversion efficiency (86.45% excluding heat losses). In addition, long-term evaporation measurements demonstrate small variance under sea water, illustrating the system’s working capacity for salt rejection (1.3 g NaCl/210 min), which is excellent for an efficient solar-driven evaporation application compared to other carbon-based solar evaporators. According to the findings of this research, this system offers significant potential for producing fresh water devoid of salt accumulation for use in industrial applications.
ISSN:2079-4991