Nanofiber-Constructed Aerogel Solar Evaporator for Efficient Salt Resistance and Volatile Removal

Solar-driven interfacial evaporation has been validated as an ecofriendly and sustainable technique for energy-efficient water sanitation. However, current solar evaporators grapple with the significant accumulation of salt and the presence of volatiles. Herein, a multifunctional nanofiber-constructed aerogel evaporator was successfully developed via electrospinning, freeze-drying, high-temperature processing, and in situ synthesis. This nanofibrous aerogel, characterized by its large and coterminous pores constructed of nanofibers within a three-dimensional (3D) structure, facilitates the transportation of accumulated salts from the evaporation interface to less saline bulk water, effectively mitigating solar evaporator scaling. Simultaneously, it also provides ample adsorption and photocatalytic sites for highly efficient volatile removal. The resultant evaporator exhibits a high evaporation rate of 1.88 kg m–2 h–1 and an exceptional aniline removal efficiency of ∼95% and maintained stability during the desalination of a 3.5 wt % of NaCl solution with 5 mg L–1 of volatile aniline under 1 sun irradiation. The elucidation of the mechanism responsible for volatile removal was further accomplished through a comparative analysis of adsorption and catalysis experiments. This work may provide new insights into the development of multifunctional nanofiber-constructed aerogel solar evaporators for more complex hypersaline water treatment

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