Issue 12, 2020

Heterostructure design of Cu2O/Cu2S core/shell nanowires for solar-driven photothermal water vaporization towards desalination

Abstract

Solar-driven water evaporation has been considered as a promising strategy to solve the growing water shortage and water pollution problems. Developing low-cost and large-scale photo-thermal materials combined with highly efficient solar steam generation, water transport and environmental stability still remains a huge challenge. Herein, we proposed a design of Cu2S/Cu2O/Cu foam (Cu2S/Cu2O/CF) hierarchical structure through the interface engineering approach. The heterostructure contains the unique Cu2O/Cu2S core–shell nanowire and Cu foam substrate. The as-prepared Cu2S/Cu2O/Cu nanostructure achieved a high light absorption performance (96%), a high evaporation rate of 1.44 kg m−2 h−1 and a solar thermal conversion efficiency of 83.1% under 1 sun irradiation. The antifouling ability makes Cu2S/Cu2O/CF flexible in various kinds of water including polluted water and seawater. In addition, its excellent hydrophilic properties provide Cu2S/Cu2O/CF with anti-oil pollution capability, improving efficient water transport to the evaporator surface and purifying the raw water. The Cu2S/Cu2O/CF nanocomposite provides a promising route for freshwater production via solar distillation.

Graphical abstract: Heterostructure design of Cu2O/Cu2S core/shell nanowires for solar-driven photothermal water vaporization towards desalination

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
21 Jun 2020
Accepted
19 Oct 2020
First published
19 Oct 2020

Sustainable Energy Fuels, 2020,4, 6023-6029

Heterostructure design of Cu2O/Cu2S core/shell nanowires for solar-driven photothermal water vaporization towards desalination

L. Ying, H. Zhu, H. Li, Z. Zhu, S. Sun, X. Wang, S. Lu and M. Du, Sustainable Energy Fuels, 2020, 4, 6023 DOI: 10.1039/D0SE00914H

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