Bioinspired Nanofibrous Aerogel with Vertically Aligned Channels for Efficient Water Purification and Salt-Rejecting Solar Desalination

Solar steam generation has become one of the most promising strategies to relieve the freshwater crisis. Whereas, the construction of a solar-thermal water evaporation structure that can operate continuously under sunlight to generate clean water with high efficiency, good stability, and high salt-rejecting capability is quite crucial but challengeable. Enlightened by the water transport and transpiration process in trees, an advanced nanofibrous aerogel evaporator is fabricated with multifunctional capabilities through decoration of functional component onto an aerogel skeleton. The rational integration of hierarchical structure and functional constituents, results in outstanding solar-vapor conversion efficiency of 96.1% and a fast evaporation rate about 2.33 kg m(-2) h(-1) under 1 sun. Additionally, the evaporator exhibits remarkably outdoor evaporation and highly effective salt-resistant performances. Significantly, the evaporator can monitor salt precipitation in its inner pores in real time. This study demonstrates an eco-friendly and economic solution for sustainable clean water production using nanofiber aerogel-based evaporators.

Automated summary

Inspired by the water transport and transpiration process in trees, researchers have developed an advanced nanofibrous aerogel evaporator with multiple functionalities. The evaporator, decorated with functional components on an aerogel skeleton, demonstrates outstanding solar-vapor conversion efficiency of 96.1% and a fast evaporation rate of 2.33 kg m(-2) h(-1) under 1 sun. It also exhibits excellent outdoor evaporation and highly effective salt resistance, with the ability to monitor salt precipitation in real time. This study presents an eco-friendly and economic solution for sustainable clean water production using nanofiber aerogel-based evaporators.