Hybrid nanoarchitectonics of carbon/titanium carbide integrated hydrogel/melamine foam for highly efficient solar steam and thermoelectric power generation

Solar driven interface water evaporation, a feasible approach to solve the global water crisis, requires a rational combination of high efficiency photothermal material and evaporation structure. In this paper, carbon/titanium carbide (C/TiC) nanohybrids from Ti-based metal-organic framework (Ti-MOF) were controllable synthesized and applied for highly efficient solar steam and thermoelectric power generation. Considering inherent defects of single-component materials, the synthesized unique porous C/TiC nanohybrids exhibit both lattice resonance and plasmonic absorption properties, achieving a high solar-steam conversion efficiency of 90 %. Further, a multi-structured hydrogel (TMH) was prepared by dipping porous melamine foam in gel containing porous C/TiC nanohybrids, and a high evaporation rate of 1.93 kg m−2 h−1 under one sun irradiation has been achieved for its excellent light absorption performance and thermal management ability. Long-term desalting experiments exhibit TMH presents desirable self-cleaning characteristic and can meet its performance requirements in 3.5–20 wt% brine. More importantly, as a proof-of-concept demonstration of synergistic solar steam and thermoelectric power generation, the synergistic system simultaneously realized a high evaporation rate of 0.93 kg m−2 h−1 and produced a stable voltage up to 150 mV under one sun irradiation. This solar-thermal evaporation and thermoelectric generation technology provides a promising avenue for practical desalination and thermoelectric power generation. •A novel synthesis method is developed to prepare the C/TiC nanohybrids.•Porous C/TiC nanohybrids achieved a high solar-vapor conversion efficiency of 91 %.•Photothermal conversion efficiency is enhanced by coupling different mechanisms.•Practical desalination performance of TMH is confirmed by long-term desalting tests.•High efficient synergistic steam and thermoelectric generation is demonstrated.