Simultaneous evaporation and decontamination of water on a novel membrane under simulated solar light irradiation

• Published in: Applied catalysis. B, Environmental Vol. 267; p. 118695
• Main Authors: Gao, Zhao, Yang, Hanpei, Li, Jingwei, Kang, Li, Wang, Lina, Wu, Junming, Guo, Song
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 15.06.2020; Elsevier BV
• Subjects: Acetic acid; Capillary pressure; Carbon nanotubes; Cellulose acetate; Cellulose acetate membranes; Current carriers; Decomposition; Decontamination; Evaporation; Extrusion; Heat flux; Heterojunctions; Irradiation; Light irradiation; Membrane evaporation; Membranes; Molybdenum oxides; Molybdenum trioxide; Nanotechnology; Nanotubes; Photo-heat conversion; Photodegradation; Photons; Photothermal conversion; Pollutants; Recombination; Semiconductors; Steam generation; Surface charge; Surface temperature; Thermalization (energy absorption); Toluene; Vapor pressure; Water pollution; Water purification; Photodegradation; Heterojunctions; Membrane evaporation; Photo-heat conversion; Semiconductors
• ISSN: 0926-3373; 1873-3883
• DOI: 10.1016/j.apcatb.2020.118695

[Display omitted] •A novel membrane was constructed for the first time.•Efficient and simultaneous water evaporation and decontamination were achieved.•Synergic actions towards the high performances were identified.•Insights into the in-situ photodriven obtaining of clean water were approached. Construction of semiconductor-based membranes accommodates new routes for photothermal conversion and in-situ decomposing of pollutants in solar light-driven evaporation. In this work, a novel photocatalyst composed of MoO3-x, BiOCl, and carbon nanotubes was surficial deposited on cellulose acetate membrane. High capillary pressure (∼600 kPa) guaranteed an effective capillary rise of water from hydrophilic membrane matrix. The water was extruded into ultra-fine droplets with a saturation vapor pressure as high as ∼1.75 × 105 Pa and a heat flux as much as ∼2.11 × 10−3 W mm−2. Moreover, the top-surficial film can harvest sufficient solar photons to generate charge carries, and the surface temperature of membrane can quickly increase to higher than 50 °C by thermalization through carriers relaxation, transference, and recombination on specific sites. Simultaneously, pollutants in water are efficiently decomposed by effectively separated charge carriers on designed spots. Synergistically, a steam generation rate of ∼7.75 kg m−2 h−1 was acquired and an almost complete removal of RhB and toluene was achieved.