Solar-driven abnormal evaporation of nanoconfined water

Abstract

Intrinsic water evaporation demands a high energy input, which limits the efficacy of conventional interfacial solar evaporators. Here, we propose a nanoconfinement strategy altering inherent properties of water for solar-driven water evaporation using a highly uniform composite of vertically aligned Janus carbon nanotubes (CNTs). The water evaporation from the CNT shows the unexpected diameter-dependent evaporation rate, increasing abnormally with decreasing nanochannel diameter. The evaporation rate of CNT10@AAO evaporator thermodynamically exceeds the theoretical limit (1.47 kg m−2 hour−1 under one sun). A hybrid experimental, theoretical, and molecular simulation approach provided fundamental evidence of different nanoconfined water properties. The decreased number of H-bonds and lower interaction energy barrier of water molecules within CNT and formed water clusters may be one of the reasons for the less evaporative energy activating rapid nanoconfined water vaporization.