A Novel Approach to Simultaneously Obtain Well-Hydrophobic and Photothermal Materials for Organic Contaminants Removal and Solar Desalination

46 Pages Posted: 14 Mar 2022

See all articles by Wei Cai

Wei Cai

University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) - State Key Laboratory of Fire Science

Xiaowei Mu

University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) - State Key Laboratory of Fire Science

Xiaming Feng

Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge - Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering; Hong Kong University of Science and Technology - Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Longfei Han

University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) - State Key Laboratory of Fire Science

Junling Wang

Nanjing Tech University - College of Safety Science and Engineering

Zhaoxin Li

University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) - State Key Laboratory of Fire Science

Weizhao Hu

University of Science and Technology China

Lei Song

University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) - State Key Laboratory of Fire Science

Zhou Gui

University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) - State Key Laboratory of Fire Science

Yuan Hu

University of Science and Technology China - State Key Laboratory of Fire Science

Abstract

Occasionally, it is found that heated methyl trichlorosilane (CH3SiCl3) gas can impart surface carbonization and hydrophobicity to polymeric materials. Based on this novel phenomenon, an artful one-step close-loop reaction is designed to develop an extremely convenient, universal, and environmentally friendly approach for preparing well-hydrophobic and photothermal materials. After being treated by evaporated CH3SiCl3, various polymer materials with the presence of hydroxyl and amido groups present well-hydrophobicity and photo-thermal conversion performance. As a representative material, the functionalization formation mechanism of pomelo peel (PP) foam is interpreted by the surface carbonation and formation of methyl-silicon dioxide nanoparticles, employing a series of analytic techniques. In addition, the well hydrophobicity also imparts pomelo peel-derived carbon foam with the desirable adsorption capacity of organic solvents and oils. Meanwhile, a novel solar evaporator composed of hydrophobic pomelo peel-derived carbon foam and hydrophilic polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) hydrogel is successfully prepared by the freeze-thawing process, presenting desirable solar steam generation (1.4960 kg/m2h). Due to the high hydrophilicity of PVA hydrogel, the precipitated salt crystal is rapidly re-dissolved to water bulk, obtaining a desirable anti-salt performance. The proposed approach obtaining hydrophobicity and photo-thermal performance is significantly different from previous literature, presenting extremely easy and environmentally friendly characteristics.

Keywords: polymer materials, hydrophobicity, photo-thermal conversion, organic contaminant removal, solar desalination

Suggested Citation

Cai, Wei and Mu, Xiaowei and Feng, Xiaming and Han, Longfei and Wang, Junling and Li, Zhaoxin and Hu, Weizhao and Song, Lei and Gui, Zhou and Hu, Yuan, A Novel Approach to Simultaneously Obtain Well-Hydrophobic and Photothermal Materials for Organic Contaminants Removal and Solar Desalination. Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4057011 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4057011

Wei Cai

University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) - State Key Laboratory of Fire Science ( email )

Hefei, Anhui 230026
China

Xiaowei Mu

University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) - State Key Laboratory of Fire Science ( email )

Hefei, Anhui 230026
China

Xiaming Feng

Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge - Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering ( email )

Baton Rouge, LA 70803
United States

Hong Kong University of Science and Technology - Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering ( email )

Clear Water Bay, Kowloon
Hong Kong

Longfei Han

University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) - State Key Laboratory of Fire Science ( email )

Hefei, Anhui 230026
China

Junling Wang

Nanjing Tech University - College of Safety Science and Engineering ( email )

Nanjing
China

Zhaoxin Li

University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) - State Key Laboratory of Fire Science ( email )

Hefei, Anhui 230026
China

Weizhao Hu (Contact Author)

University of Science and Technology China ( email )

Lei Song

University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) - State Key Laboratory of Fire Science ( email )

Hefei, Anhui 230026
China

Zhou Gui

University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) - State Key Laboratory of Fire Science ( email )

Hefei, Anhui 230026
China

Yuan Hu

University of Science and Technology China - State Key Laboratory of Fire Science ( email )

Hefei
China

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