High-efficiency solar evaporator prepared by one-step carbon nanotubes loading on cotton fabric toward water purification

Abstract

Solar-driven photothermal conversion devices are proved to promising in fresh water generation, but often hindered due to complex manufacturing processes, low efficiency and poor reusability. Herein, we proposed a one-step carboxylated multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNTs-COOH) loading on the cotton fabric (CF), and assembled a jellyfish-shaped solar evaporator in which the evaporation layer acted as the body and cotton yarns (CYs) as the tentacles used for water transportation. The jellyfish-shaped solar evaporator has the advantages of separating the evaporation layer from bulk water, thereby effectively prevents heat dissipation and improves evaporation efficiency. The assembled evaporator exhibited an evaporation rate of 1.18 kg m−2 h−1 and a high energy conversion efficiency of 86.01% under 1.0 sun illumination (1.0 kW m−2). This simple preparation, high efficiency and excellent reusability jellyfish-shaped solar evaporator is expected to be used efficiently under natural light conditions, and has great application prospects for remote areas that lack fresh water supplies.