Ultralight electrospun fiber foam with tunable lamellar macropores for efficient interfacial evaporation

Solar-driven interfacial evaporation is regarded as one of the most promising technologies to address the critical issue of global water scarcity. However, a great deal of energy is lost via conduction during the interfacial evaporation process. Herein, a self-floating Janus evaporator containing micron-sized isolated bubbles that can enhance heat localization is designed. The evaporator is synthesized by gas foaming polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofibers and subsequently depositing polypyrrole (PPy). The hydrophilic PAN nanofiber layer on the bottom of the evaporator with abundant macropores can continuously pump water upward through the capillary force. The hydrophobic PAN@PPy composite nanofiber layer on the top possesses a broadband solar absorption property, converting solar irradiation to heat efficiently. The low thermal conductivity of the isolated micron-sized bubbles enhances the thermal insulation of the obtained PAN foam@PPy Janus evaporator, while the stretching and expanding of the nanofibers induced by the bubbles contribute to its increased mechanical stability. This work offers a simple route to fabricate evaporators that can continuously produce drinking water from brine under sunlight, and provides a fresh idea to enhance the thermal insulation and mechanical properties of the conventional electrospinning-based fiber scaffold.

Automated summary

This study presents a self-floating Janus evaporator that enhances energy localization and thermal insulation. By utilizing gas foaming polyacrylonitrile nanofibers and depositing polypyrrole, the evaporator is able to continuously produce drinking water from brine using solar energy. The design also provides a fresh idea to enhance the thermal insulation and mechanical stability of conventional electrospinning-based fiber scaffolds.