ABSTRACT
Solar evaporation is a facile and promising technology to efficiently utilize renewable energy for freshwater production and seawater desalination. Here, the fabrication of self-regenerating hydrogel composed of 2D-MXenes nanosheets embedded in perovskite La 0.6Sr 0.4Co 0.2Fe 0.8O3- δ (LSCF)/polyvinyl alcohol hydrogels for efficient solar-driven evaporation and seawater desalination is reported. The mixed dimensional LSCF/Ti3C2 composite features a localized surface plasmonic resonance effect in the polymeric network of polyvinyl alcohol endows excellent evaporation rates (1.98 kg m-2 h-1) under 1 k Wm-2 or one sun solar irradiation ascribed by hydrophilicity and broadband solar absorption (96%). Furthermore, the long-term performance reveals smooth mass change (13.33 kg m-2) during 8 h under one sun. The composite hydrogel prompts the dilution of concentrated brines and redissolves it back to water (1.2 g NaCl/270 min) without impeding the evaporation rate without any salt-accumulation. The present research offers a substantial opportunity for solar-driven evaporation without any salt accumulation in real-life applications.
ABSTRACT
A variety of imaging techniques are available for detecting biological processes with sufficient penetration depth and temporal resolution. However, inflammation, cardiovascular, and cancer-related disorders might be difficult to diagnose with typical bioimaging methods because of the lack of resolution in the imaging of deep tissues. Therefore, nanomaterials are the most promising candidate to overcome this hurdle. This review is on the utilization of carbon-based nanomaterials (CNMs), ranging from zero-dimension (0D) to three-dimension (3D), in the development of fluorescence (FL) imaging, photoacoustic imaging (PAI), and biosensing for the early detection of cancer. Nanoengineered CNMs, such as graphene, carbon nanotubes (CNTs), and functional carbon quantum dots (QDs), are being further studied for multimodal biometrics and targeted therapy. CNMs have many advantages over conventional dyes in FL sensing and imaging, including clear emission spectra, long photostability, low cost, and high FL intensity. Nanoprobe production, mechanical illustrations, and diagnostic therapeutic applications are the key areas of focus. The bioimaging technique has facilitated a greater understanding of the biochemical events underlying multiple disease etiologies, consequently facilitating disease diagnosis, evaluation of therapeutic efficacy, and drug development. This review may lead to the development of interdisciplinary research in bioimaging and sensing as well as possible future concerns for researchers and medical physicians.
