Full biomass-derived multifunctional aerogel for solar-driven interfacial evaporation

Developing high-efficient utilization of thermal energy, excellent water transport path and mechanical stablility of biochar based solar-driven interfacial evaporator (SDIE) is critical for but still challenge. Herein, a three-dimensional network of porous scaffolds aerogel is prepared by cross-linking hydrophilic plantain cellulose (PC) and biomass hollow carbon tubes (HCTs) with excellent photothermal properties. The HCTs and PC winding with each other, the water adsorption by PC and desorption by HCTs which improve water evaporation. Under 1.0 sun illumination, the optimized PC@HCTs aerogel temperature on gas-liquid interface rapidly reach to 46.7 °C and the evaporation rate is 1.86 kg m−2h−1. In addition, PC@HCTs aerogel possess excellent water evaporation under high concentration of salt solutions and salt tolerance ability. Moreover, the PC@HCTs aerogel has obvious purification effect for seawater, heavy metal ion solution, oil-water emulsion and organic dye wastewater. Importantly, the dry PC@HCTs possesses excellent hardness while hyperelasticity in water. More importantly, the PC@HCTs aerogel with green recyclability which change the growth environment of sand and plants healthier, thus take materials from nature and final regress to nature. This work has the great scientific significance to promote the actual use of biochar based solar steam evaporators.