Light-propelled photocatalytic evaporator for robotic solar-driven water purification
Abstract Solar-driven interfacial water purification (SDIWP) has emerged as a green, cost-effective, and sustainable technology for waste/sea water treatment. However, at present, innovative smart water treatment systems that enable high-efficiency water purification through multiform solar schemes...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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SpringerOpen
2025-04-01
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| Series: | PhotoniX |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s43074-025-00169-4 |
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| author | Dong-Dong Han Qiang Wang Zhao-Di Chen Lei Wang Zhiyong Chang Sheng-Yi Xie Xian-Bin Li Wei Zhang Yong-Lai Zhang |
| author_facet | Dong-Dong Han Qiang Wang Zhao-Di Chen Lei Wang Zhiyong Chang Sheng-Yi Xie Xian-Bin Li Wei Zhang Yong-Lai Zhang |
| author_sort | Dong-Dong Han |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Solar-driven interfacial water purification (SDIWP) has emerged as a green, cost-effective, and sustainable technology for waste/sea water treatment. However, at present, innovative smart water treatment systems that enable high-efficiency water purification through multiform solar schemes are rare. Herein, we report a light-propelled photocatalytic evaporator based on semi-metallic reduced graphene oxide (RGO)/ titanium carbide MXene-titanium dioxide (Ti3C2Tx-TiO2) ternary hybrid foams for multi-scheme SDIWP. The RGO/Ti3C2Tx-TiO2 foam is prepared by freeze-drying induced self-assembly (FDISA) of Ti3C2Tx and graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets by which an in-situ redox reaction between Ti3C2Tx and GO nanosheets occurs and TiO2 nanoparticles are generated simultaneously. The synergistic effect leads to the formation of the semi-metallic RGO/Ti3C2Tx-TiO2 framework with the Ti–O-C covalent bonding between RGO and Ti3C2Tx. Under light irradiation, the photogenerated carriers in RGO/Ti3C2Tx-TiO2 can occupy the quantum-confined graphene-like states in RGO with an average lifetime of 0.8 ps, this value is 2 orders of magnitude shorter than that of GO and Ti3C2Tx. As a result, the RGO/Ti3C2Tx-TiO2 foam shows photocatalytic degradation activity and photothermal conversion ability, enabling multi-scheme SDIWP. Owing to its excellent photothermal properties and quantum-confined superfluidic structures, the RGO/Ti3C2Tx-TiO2 foam exhibits superior vapor generation performance (1.72 kg m–2 h–1). Furthermore, the photocatalytic evaporator can be remotely manipulated as a floating robot for water treatment through programmable light navigation via photothermal Marangoni propulsion. This work provides a new approach for developing robotic SDIWP systems. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-5a98be2ac5e64c3da48821ae08f437b5 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2662-1991 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
| publisher | SpringerOpen |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PhotoniX |
| spelling | doaj-art-5a98be2ac5e64c3da48821ae08f437b52025-08-20T02:28:04ZengSpringerOpenPhotoniX2662-19912025-04-016111310.1186/s43074-025-00169-4Light-propelled photocatalytic evaporator for robotic solar-driven water purificationDong-Dong Han0Qiang Wang1Zhao-Di Chen2Lei Wang3Zhiyong Chang4Sheng-Yi Xie5Xian-Bin Li6Wei Zhang7Yong-Lai Zhang8State Key Laboratory of Integrated Optoelectronics, JLU Region, College of Electronic Science and Engineering, Jilin UniversityState Key Laboratory of Integrated Optoelectronics, JLU Region, College of Electronic Science and Engineering, Jilin UniversityState Key Laboratory of Integrated Optoelectronics, JLU Region, College of Electronic Science and Engineering, Jilin UniversityState Key Laboratory of Integrated Optoelectronics, JLU Region, College of Electronic Science and Engineering, Jilin UniversityKey Laboratory of Bionic Engineering, Ministry of Education, College of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, Jilin UniversitySchool of Physics and Electronics, Hunan UniversityState Key Laboratory of Integrated Optoelectronics, JLU Region, College of Electronic Science and Engineering, Jilin UniversityKey Laboratory of Automobile Materials MOE, School of Materials Science & Engineering, Jilin Provincial International Cooperation Key Laboratory of High-Efficiency Clean Energy Materials, Electron Microscopy Center, International Center of Future Science, Jilin UniversityState Key Laboratory of Integrated Optoelectronics, JLU Region, College of Electronic Science and Engineering, Jilin UniversityAbstract Solar-driven interfacial water purification (SDIWP) has emerged as a green, cost-effective, and sustainable technology for waste/sea water treatment. However, at present, innovative smart water treatment systems that enable high-efficiency water purification through multiform solar schemes are rare. Herein, we report a light-propelled photocatalytic evaporator based on semi-metallic reduced graphene oxide (RGO)/ titanium carbide MXene-titanium dioxide (Ti3C2Tx-TiO2) ternary hybrid foams for multi-scheme SDIWP. The RGO/Ti3C2Tx-TiO2 foam is prepared by freeze-drying induced self-assembly (FDISA) of Ti3C2Tx and graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets by which an in-situ redox reaction between Ti3C2Tx and GO nanosheets occurs and TiO2 nanoparticles are generated simultaneously. The synergistic effect leads to the formation of the semi-metallic RGO/Ti3C2Tx-TiO2 framework with the Ti–O-C covalent bonding between RGO and Ti3C2Tx. Under light irradiation, the photogenerated carriers in RGO/Ti3C2Tx-TiO2 can occupy the quantum-confined graphene-like states in RGO with an average lifetime of 0.8 ps, this value is 2 orders of magnitude shorter than that of GO and Ti3C2Tx. As a result, the RGO/Ti3C2Tx-TiO2 foam shows photocatalytic degradation activity and photothermal conversion ability, enabling multi-scheme SDIWP. Owing to its excellent photothermal properties and quantum-confined superfluidic structures, the RGO/Ti3C2Tx-TiO2 foam exhibits superior vapor generation performance (1.72 kg m–2 h–1). Furthermore, the photocatalytic evaporator can be remotely manipulated as a floating robot for water treatment through programmable light navigation via photothermal Marangoni propulsion. This work provides a new approach for developing robotic SDIWP systems.https://doi.org/10.1186/s43074-025-00169-4Marangoni propulsionPhotocatalytic evaporatorRobotsSolar-driven water purificationSemimetals |
| spellingShingle | Dong-Dong Han Qiang Wang Zhao-Di Chen Lei Wang Zhiyong Chang Sheng-Yi Xie Xian-Bin Li Wei Zhang Yong-Lai Zhang Light-propelled photocatalytic evaporator for robotic solar-driven water purification PhotoniX Marangoni propulsion Photocatalytic evaporator Robots Solar-driven water purification Semimetals |
| title | Light-propelled photocatalytic evaporator for robotic solar-driven water purification |
| title_full | Light-propelled photocatalytic evaporator for robotic solar-driven water purification |
| title_fullStr | Light-propelled photocatalytic evaporator for robotic solar-driven water purification |
| title_full_unstemmed | Light-propelled photocatalytic evaporator for robotic solar-driven water purification |
| title_short | Light-propelled photocatalytic evaporator for robotic solar-driven water purification |
| title_sort | light propelled photocatalytic evaporator for robotic solar driven water purification |
| topic | Marangoni propulsion Photocatalytic evaporator Robots Solar-driven water purification Semimetals |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s43074-025-00169-4 |
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