Interlayer Architecture Modulates Water State and Transport in Chitosan Aerogels for Solar-Driven Interfacial Evaporation
4 affiliations
- 1State Key Laboratory of Low-Carbon Smart Coal-Fired Power Generation and Ultra-Clean Emission, China Energy Science and Technology Research Institute Co., Ltd., Nanjing 210023, China
- 2Key Laboratory of Energy Thermal Conversion and Control of Ministry of Education, School of Energy and Environment, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China
- 3Key Laboratory of Jiangsu Province for Chemical Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, School of Environmental and Biological Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing 210094, China
- 4Zhejiang Key Laboratory for Restoration of Damaged Coastal Ecosystems, School of Life Sciences, Taizhou University, Taizhou 318000, China
Abstract
Solar-driven interfacial evaporation offers a sustainable route to freshwater production, yet the role of evaporator microstructure in regulating water state and transport remains insufficiently understood. Here, chitosan-based photothermal aerogels with tunable lamellar architectures were fabricated by freeze-drying, using carbon nanotubes as broadband solar absorbers. Varying the chitosan concentration modulated the interlayer spacing and associated water state within the aerogels. The optimized CS2.5 aerogel exhibited the highest intermediate-water proportion and the lowest apparent evaporation enthalpy of 1652.1 kJ kg−1, while maintaining solar absorptance above 97.8%. Under 1 sun irradiation, CS2.5 achieved an evaporation rate of 2.33 kg m−2 h−1 and maintained stable performance in NaCl solutions of up to 15 wt%, organic-contaminated water, and prolonged cycling tests. Idealized COMSOL Multiphysics 6.3 simulations indicated that a moderate interlayer spacing promoted a uniform velocity distribution and smooth pressure gradient, thereby facilitating water transport. During six consecutive days of outdoor operation, the evaporator delivered daily evaporation yields of 1.38–2.30 kg m−2 under fluctuating environmental conditions. These findings provide insights into coordinating lamellar architecture, water-state regulation, and fluid transport for efficient solar evaporation.
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BibTeX
@article{an2026interlayer,
title = {{Interlayer Architecture Modulates Water State and Transport in Chitosan Aerogels for Solar-Driven Interfacial Evaporation}},
author = {Fengxia An and Zihan Chen and Binbin Wang and Ke Zhuang and Jiayun He and Shunde Zou and Xiaohuan Meng and Enmin Zong and Haopeng Luo and Huan Chen and Fang Jiang},
journal = {Nanomaterials},
year = {2026},
month = nov,
doi = {10.3390/nano16211413},
url = {https://www.mdpi.com/2079-4991/16/21/1413},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Interlayer Architecture Modulates Water State and Transport in Chitosan Aerogels for Solar-Driven Interfacial Evaporation
AU - Fengxia An
AU - Zihan Chen
AU - Binbin Wang
AU - Ke Zhuang
AU - Jiayun He
AU - Shunde Zou
AU - Xiaohuan Meng
AU - Enmin Zong
AU - Haopeng Luo
AU - Huan Chen
AU - Fang Jiang
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/11/03
JO - Nanomaterials
DO - 10.3390/nano16211413
UR - https://www.mdpi.com/2079-4991/16/21/1413
AB - Solar-driven interfacial evaporation offers a sustainable route to freshwater production, yet the role of evaporator microstructure in regulating water state and transport remains insufficiently understood. Here, chitosan-based photothermal aerogels with tunable lamellar architectures were fabricated by freeze-drying, using carbon nanotubes as broadband solar absorbers. Varying the chitosan concentration modulated the interlayer spacing and associated water state within the aerogels. The optimized CS2.5 aerogel exhibited the highest intermediate-water proportion and the lowest apparent evaporation enthalpy of 1652.1 kJ kg−1, while maintaining solar absorptance above 97.8%. Under 1 sun irradiation, CS2.5 achieved an evaporation rate of 2.33 kg m−2 h−1 and maintained stable performance in NaCl solutions of up to 15 wt%, organic-contaminated water, and prolonged cycling tests. Idealized COMSOL Multiphysics 6.3 simulations indicated that a moderate interlayer spacing promoted a uniform velocity distribution and smooth pressure gradient, thereby facilitating water transport. During six consecutive days of outdoor operation, the evaporator delivered daily evaporation yields of 1.38–2.30 kg m−2 under fluctuating environmental conditions. These findings provide insights into coordinating lamellar architecture, water-state regulation, and fluid transport for efficient solar evaporation.
SN - 2079-4991
ER -