A high-efficient and salt-rejecting 2D film for photothermal evaporation

The solar-driven desalination is seen as a sustainable way to combat water scarcity. However, the solar steam generation efficiency has long been restricted by the high vaporization enthalpy of water and low energy density of natural sunlight. We introduced graphene oxide (GO) cross-linked with polyethyleneimine (PEI) as the photothermal material, with the enriched ammonic functional groups in modified GO membrane (GPM) activating water molecules to evaporate with much lower energy consumption. The vaporization enthalpy at the air-film interface is reduced up to 42% in GPM film by tuning the thermodynamic states of water. Consequently, GPM film enables a high evaporation rate of 2.48 kg m−2 h−1 with 95.7% energy conversion efficiency under 1 sun. With the aid of positive charges introduced by hydrolysis of PEI, the GPM exhibits excellent salt resistance and delivers an evaporation rate around 1.8 kg m−2 h−1 when treating 20 wt % NaCl solution. [Display omitted] •Tuning thermodynamic states of water molecules to reduce the vaporization enthalpy•Achieving an evaporation rate of 2.48 kg/(m2h), exceeding the thermodynamic limit•Cross-linked PEI enables GO membrane to efficiently treat 20 wt % NaCl solution Optical materials; Energy engineering; Materials science