Use of carbon materials for constructing a closed water treatment system

Water purification by solar distillation has been deemed to be a green and promising approach for the production of potable water from undrinkable water resources. Carbonaceous materials have been well-known for the application of the sorption layer in the solar-to-steam system. Herein, both carbon spheres (CSs) and carbon dots (CDs) were synthesized by a one-pot hydrothermal method at 180 degrees C for 12h and they were used for constructing a closed water treatment system, in which CSs served as solar-thermal membranes in harvesting water and purifying Fe3+ ions in condensed water, while CDs played a role in the determination of Fe3+ ions in water. The evaporation rate of the CS membrane reaches 1.046 kg m(-2) h(-1) under 1 sun illumination and the efficiency treatment of Fe3+ is about 80%. The limit of detection obtained in the evaluation of Fe3+ ions in water by CDs was 3.61 mu M. This work represents a significant step forward, as it opens the concept of constructing a closed water treatment system.

Automated summary

Water purification by solar distillation using carbonaceous materials as sorption layer is a green and promising approach. In this study, carbon spheres and carbon dots were synthesized and used to construct a closed water treatment system. The carbon spheres acted as solar-thermal membranes for water harvesting and purification of Fe3+ ions, while the carbon dots were used to determine the Fe3+ ions in water. The system showed a high evaporation rate and efficient treatment of Fe3+ ions. The work represents a significant step forward in the field of closed water treatment systems.