Solar evaporation of liquid marbles with Fe3O4/CNT hybrid nanostructures.

HYPOTHESIS: Through the rational design of nanomaterial composites, broadband light harvesting and good thermal insulation can be achieved simultaneously to improve the efficiency of water evaporation. EXPERIMENT: Solar evaporation experiments were carried out on liquid marbles (LMs) coated with Fe3O4 nanoparticles, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and hybrid nanomaterials (Fe3O4/CNTs) with different mass ratios of 2:1, 1:1 and 1:2. FINDING: The results showed that the mixture of Fe3O4/CNTs enhances the light harvesting ability and solar interfacial evaporation performance. Fe3O4/CNT-LM at the mass ratio of 2:1 case provides the highest evaporation rate of 11.03 µg/s, which is about 1.22 and 1.34 times higher than that of Fe3O4 and CNT, respectively. This high performance is mainly due to the synergistic effect between Fe3O4 nanoparticles and CNTs, as the hybrid nanostructure significantly improves the both photothermal conversion and heat localization capability. Numerical simulation further supports that the composite can concentrate the electromagnetic field and heat at the phase-change interface. This leads to a rapid evaporation of the boundary region. This study provides a novel approach to a three-dimensional interface by assembling nanomaterials on the drop surface to enhance evaporation, which may have far-reaching implications for seawater desalination.

Synergistic Effect Between 0D CQDs and 2D MXene to Enhance the Photothermal Conversion of Hydrogel Evaporators for Efficient Solar Water Evaporation, Photothermal Sensing and Electricity Generation.

Solar-powered interfacial water evaporation is a promising technique for alleviating freshwater stress. However, the evaporation performance of solar evaporators is still constrained by low photothermal conversion efficiency and high water evaporation enthalpy. Herein, 0D carbon quantum dots (CQDs) are combined with 2D MXene to serve as a hybrid photothermal material to enhance the light absorption and photothermal conversion ability, meanwhile sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC)/polyacrylamide (PAM) hydrogels are used as a substrate material for water transport to reduce the enthalpy of water evaporation. The synergistic effect in 0D CQDs/2D MXene hybrid photothermal materials accelerate the carrier transfer, inducing efficient localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) effect. This results in the enhanced photothermal conversion efficiency. The integrated hydrogel evaporators demonstrate a high evaporation rate (1.93 and 2.86 kg m-2 h-1 under 1 and 2 sunlights, respectively) and low evaporation enthalpy (1485 J g-1). In addition, the hydrogel evaporators are applied for photothermal sensing and temperature difference power generation (TEG). The TEG device presents an efficient output power density (230.7 mW m-2) under 1 sunlight. This work provides a feasible approach for regulating and controlling the evaporation performances of hydrogel evaporators, and gives a proof-of-concept for the design of multipurpose solar evaporation systems.

Recent innovations in 3D solar evaporators and their functionalities.

Interfacial solar evaporation (ISE) has emerged as a promising technology to alleviate global water scarcity via energy-efficient purification of both wastewater and seawater. While ISE was originally identified and developed during studies of simple double-layered two-dimensional (2D) evaporators, observed limitations in evaporation rate and functionality soon led to the development of three-dimensional (3D) evaporators, which is now recognized as one of the most pivotal milestones in the research field. 3D evaporators significantly enhance the evaporation rates beyond the theoretical limits of 2D evaporators. Furthermore, 3D evaporators could have multifaceted functionalities originating from various functional evaporation surfaces and 3D structures. This review summarizes recent advances in 3D evaporators, focusing on rational design, fabrication and energy nexus of 3D evaporators, and the derivative functions for improving solar evaporation performance and exploring novel applications. Future research prospects are also proposed based on the in-depth understanding of the fundamental aspects of 3D evaporators and the requirements for practical applications.

Molecular Insights into Gas-Particle Partitioning and Viscosity of Atmospheric Brown Carbon.

Biomass burning organic aerosol (BBOA), containing brown carbon chromophores, plays a critical role in atmospheric chemistry and climate forcing. However, the effects of evaporation on BBOA volatility and viscosity under different environmental conditions remain poorly understood. This study focuses on the molecular characterization of laboratory-generated BBOA proxies from wood pyrolysis emissions. The initial mixture, "pyrolysis oil (PO1)", was progressively evaporated to produce more concentrated mixtures (PO1.33, PO2, and PO3) with volume reduction factors of 1.33, 2, and 3, respectively. Chemical speciation and volatility were investigated using temperature-programmed desorption combined with direct analysis in real-time ionization and high-resolution mass spectrometry (TPD-DART-HRMS). This novel approach quantified saturation vapor pressures and enthalpies of individual species, enabling the construction of volatility basis set distributions and the quantification of gas-particle partitioning. Viscosity estimates, validated by poke-flow experiments, showed a significant increase with evaporation, slowing particle-phase diffusion and extending equilibration times. These findings suggest that highly viscous tar ball particles in aged biomass burning emissions form as semivolatile components evaporate. The study highlights the importance of evaporation processes in shaping BBOA properties, underscoring the need to incorporate these factors into atmospheric models for better predictions of BBOA aging and its environmental impact.

Enhanced solar interfacial evaporation through lignin-polyaniline composite coatings on Balsa wood substrates.

Solar interfacial evaporation employing wood-derived substrates is increasingly acknowledged as a viable desalination and wastewater treatment technique. This study presents an optimized method that enhances the efficiency of solar interfacial evaporation by applying a coating of lignin-polyaniline composites (EHL-PANI) onto balsa wood substrates. Initial assessments involved comparing evaporators made from various kinds of wood, identifying balsa wood-based photothermal evaporators as the most effective, with an evaporation rate of 1.63 kg·m-2·h-1 and an efficiency of 72.7 %. Photothermal properties were further improved through the chemical oxidation of enzymatic hydrolysis lignin (EHL) with polyaniline, producing a composite with notably high dispersion stability and uniform particle distribution. This modification resulted in reduced particle size and enhanced stability of the polyaniline, which is crucial for boosting photothermal activity. Additionally, the EHL-PANI composites demonstrated exceptional light absorption, exceeding 95 %, and significant photothermal conversion efficiency across a broad wavelength range, attributable to polyaniline's broadband light absorption characteristics. A prototype evaporator, featuring the EHL-PANI coated on a balsa wood substrate, was constructed to assess performance, achieving a water evaporation rate of 2.10 kg·m-2·h-1 and an efficiency of 80.7 % under solar illumination of 1 kW·m-2.

Turning Trash to Treasure: The Influence of Carbon Waste Source on the Photothermal Behaviour of Plasmonic Titanium Carbide Interfaces.

Pyrolysis of carbonaceous waste materials has emerged as an effective recycling method to generate value-added products. In addition to producing pyrolytic oil and gas, the thermal degradation process yields solid pyrolytic char, which can be further processed. In this study, local waste materials, birch wood residue, Japanese knotweed stems, spent coffee grounds, tire rubber, and lobster shells were assessed for their potential to form pyrolytic char. After a simple acid treatment, many of these chars were successfully incorporated into solid-state synthesis of plasmonic titanium carbide (TiC) nanoparticles (NPs). Each char exhibited unique physical and chemical properties, which were leveraged to synthesize TiC NPs with distinct characteristics. To evaluate the plasmonic behavior of these TiC samples, solar-driven desalination experiments were performed. Notably, TiC derived from tire rubber demonstrated a high broadband absorbance and achieved a solar-to-vapor generation efficiency of 95%, corresponding to an evaporation rate of 1.40 ± 0.01 kg m-2 h-1 under one-sun illumination. This performance is the highest among all chars tested and ranks among the top reported values in the literature. Additionally, the evaporation interface maintained its performance over multiple cycles and under highly hypersaline conditions.

Computational Modelling of the Impact of Evaporation on In-Vitro Dermal Absorption.

PURPOSE: Volatiles are common in personal care products and dermatological drugs. Determining the impact of evaporation of volatiles on skin permeation is crucial to evaluate and understand their delivery, bioavailability, efficacy and safety. We aim to develop an in-silico model to simulate the impact of evaporation on the dermal absorption of volatiles. METHOD: The evaporation of volatile permeants was modelled using vapour pressure as the main factor. This model considers evaporation as a passive diffusion process driven by the concentration gradient between the air-vehicle interface and the ambient environment. The evaporation model was then integrated with a previously published physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) model of skin permeation and compared with published in vitro permeation test data from the Cosmetics Europe ADME Task Force. RESULTS: The evaporation-PBPK model shows improved predictions when evaporation is considered. In particular, good agreement has been obtained for the distributions in the evaporative loss, and the overall percutaneous absorption. The model is further compared with published in-silico models from the Cosmetics Europe ADME Task Force where favourable results are achieved. CONCLUSION: The evaporation of volatile permeants under finite dose in vitro permeation test conditions has been successfully predicted using a mechanistic model with the intrinsic volatility parameter vapour pressure. Integrating evaporation in PBPK modelling significantly improved the prediction of dermal delivery.

Insight into the mystery of Pheretima smells worse exposed to water: Identification, type, and volatility of stenchy odor.

Pheretima is a popular healthy food, but Pheretima and related foods have specific stenchy odor, especially after decocting or warm soaking, the odor is intense, resulting in nausea and vomiting. This indicates that the release of stenchy odor components is intensified when Pheretima was exposed to hot water. It is urgent to study the composition and release pattern of the stenchy odor components of Pheretima. In this study, a series of samples with different odors were prepared by the combination of SFE-CO2 and warm soaking. The results showed that the fishy and smoky odor of Pheretima were heavier, attributed to the components such as dimethyl trisulfide, TMA, and guaiacol. When Pheretima was exposed to hot water, the fishy odor increased sharply. Dimethyl trisulfide and TMA were the key odor components, especially the exposure of TMA increased by 2∼3 times after warm soaking. The volatilization rate of n-hexanal, TMA, dimethyl trisulfide and other components was found to be highly volatile, and the volatilization rate at 75 °C was 2.5 times that at room temperature. This study proved for the first time that stenchy odor substances include two categories: water-soluble and liposoluble. And found that the water-soluble odor components accelerate their exposure and volatilization in warm water, which is the scientific principle of "Pheretima smells worse exposed to water".

Starch Cross-Linked Glass Fibers for Water Evaporation-Induced Electricity Generation.

Water evaporation-induced electricity devices (WEDs) have become extremely attractive, converting ambient heat into electricity while being environmentally friendly. However, most current WEDs are costly and cumbersome to fabricate, which greatly limits their commercialization process. Here, we present WEDs based on starch cross-linked with glass fiber filter paper (Starch-GF). A single device produced an open-circuit voltage of 0.3 V, a short-circuit current of 1.2 µA, and a maximum power density of 1.8 mW/m2 in a natural environment under 24 h of continuous measurements. Starch-GF devices can drive electronics after charging capacitors and have environmentally friendly properties. This research contributes significantly to the discovery of hydrovoltaic materials and their practical implementation in hydrovoltaic devices.

Droplet evaporation on super liquid-repellent surfaces: A controllable approach for supraparticle fabrication.

Supraparticles are agglomerates of nano- and/or microparticles with sizes ranging from tens to hundreds of microns, making them more accessible for handling and recovery than the building blocks. Supraparticles not only inherit the properties and functions of primary particles but also exhibit characteristics such as high porosity, large specific surface area, and improved functionalities, which can be attributed to the synergism, coupling, and co-localization among the constituents. Therefore, supraparticles hold promising applications in catalysis, drug delivery, sensing, etc. Among the various synthesizing strategies, evaporating droplets on a liquid-repellent surface is proposed as an effective approach to fabricate supraparticles with unique structural features and functions. The boundary conditions of such droplet-confinement methods significantly drive the formation of supraparticles by reducing or avoiding the use of solvents or processing liquids, which further accelerates the development and utilization of supraparticles. This paper presents an overview of recent developments in the fabrication of supraparticles by evaporating droplets on liquid-repellent surfaces. The review focuses on the evaporation processes on lubricant and superhydrophobic surfaces, structural regulation, and applications of supraparticles. Finally, an outlook on the future directions of evaporation on liquid-repellent surfaces mediated supraparticle fabrication is presented.

Control of encapsulation efficiency and morphology of poly(lactide-co-glycolide) microparticles with a diafiltration-driven solvent extraction process.

The removal of organic solvents during the preparation of biodegradable poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) microparticles by an O/W- solvent extraction/evaporation process was investigated and controlled by diafiltration. Emulsification and steady replacement of the aqueous phase were performed in parallel in a single-vessel setup. During the process, the solidification of the dispersed phase (drug:PLGA:solvent droplets) into microparticles was monitored with video-microscopy and focused beam reflectance measurement (FBRM) and the residual solvent content was analyzed with headspace gas chromatography (organic solvent) and coulometric Karl-Fischer titration (water). Microparticles containing dexamethasone or risperidone were characterized with regard to particle size, morphology, encapsulation efficiency and in-vitro release. Diafiltration-accelerated solvent extraction shortened the process time by accelerating solidification of dispersed phase but reduced the residual dichloromethane content only in combination with increased temperature. Increasing the diafiltration rate increased particle size, porosity, and the encapsulation efficiency of risperidone. The latter effect was particularly evident with increasing lipophilicity of PLGA. A slower and more uniform solidification of end-capped and increased lactide content PLGA grade was identified as the reason for an increased drug leaching. Accelerated solvent extraction by diafiltration did not affect the in-vitro release of risperidone from different PLGA grades. The initial burst release of dexamethasone was increased by diafiltration when encapsulated in concentrations above the percolation threshold. Both porosity and burst release could be reduced by increasing the process temperature during diafiltration. Residual water content was established as an indicator for porosity and correlated with the burst release of dexamethasone.

Patterning of Organic Semiconductors Leads to Functional Integration: From Unit Device to Integrated Electronics.

The use of organic semiconductors in electronic devices, including transistors, sensors, and memories, unlocks innovative possibilities such as streamlined fabrication processes, enhanced mechanical flexibility, and potential new applications. Nevertheless, the increasing technical demand for patterning organic semiconductors requires greater integration and functional implementation. This paper overviews recent efforts to pattern organic semiconductors compatible with electronic devices. The review categorizes the contributions of organic semiconductor patterning approaches, such as surface-grafting polymers, capillary force lithography, wettability, evaporation, and diffusion in organic semiconductor-based transistors and sensors, offering a timely perspective on unconventional approaches to enable the patterning of organic semiconductors with a strong focus on the advantages of organic semiconductor utilization. In addition, this review explores the opportunities and challenges of organic semiconductor-based integration, emphasizing the issues related to patterning and interconnection.

Scalable Asymmetric Fabric Evaporator for Solar Desalination and Thermoelectricity Generation.

The integration of solar interfacial evaporation and power generation offers a sustainable solution to address water and electricity scarcity. Although water-power cogeneration schemes are proposed, the existing schemes lack scalability, flexibility, convenience, and stability. These limitations severely limit their future industrial applications. In this study, we prepared a hybrid fabric composed of basalt fibers and cotton yarns with asymmetric structure using textile weaving technology. The cotton yarn in lower layer of fabric facilitates water transport, while the basalt fibers in upper layer enable thermal localization and water supply balancing. The carbon black is deposited on top layer by flame burning to facilitate photothermal conversion. The fabric exhibits a high evaporation rate of 1.52 kg m-2 h-1, which is 3.6 times that of pure water, and an efficiency of 88.06% under 1 kW m-2 light intensity. After assembly with a thermoelectric module, the hybrid system achieves a maximum output power density of 66.73 mW m-2. By exploiting the scalability of fabric, large-scale desalination and power production can be achieved in outdoor environments. This study demonstrates the seamless integration of fabric-based solar evaporation and waste heat-to-energy technologies, thereby providing new avenues for the development of scalable and stable water-power cogeneration systems.

Boosted Near-Infrared Photothermal Conversion in Rare Earth Ions-Doped 2D SnSe Nanosheets for Solar-Powered Water Evaporation Systems.

Solar-powered water evaporation as a clean and abundant renewable energy-efficient desalination technology provides a promising strategy to solve the shortage of freshwater resources. However, the development and application of solar vapor technology are hindered by the relatively low near-infrared photothermal conversion efficiency of existing materials and the lack of effective improvement strategies. In this work, the conductivity characteristics of 2D semiconductors are capitalized on the high visible light absorption and ultra-low thermal. Specifically, rare-earth ion dopants into SnSe nanosheets, significantly boosting their near-infrared photothermal conversion efficiency and solar water evaporation performance are introduced. Remarkably, the photothermal conversion efficiency of the doped SnSe nanosheets surged from 51.56% to 82.11%, surpassing many previously reported photothermal materials. Furthermore, leveraging these nanosheets with enhanced photothermal conversion efficiency, a solar interfacial evaporation system is constructed. The evaporation rate of 2.17 kg m-2 h-1 and the efficiency of 96.5% can be achieved at one solar irradiance, and it also has good salt-resistance properties. The findings demonstrate the potential of rare earth ion-doped 2D semiconductor nanosheets in solar water evaporation, paving the way for future sustainable desalination solutions.

Controllable synthesize of ZnS/PbS nanostructure and their structural and morphological properties.

ZnS is an appealing material with wide potential applications in optoelectronics, sensors, and photocatalysis due to its fascinating properties, low cost, and eco-friendly. In this paper, we report the synthesis of ZnS nanowires and nanorods via a simple thermal-evaporation method using different concentrations of PbS as a dopant. The prepared nanostrutures were investigated in detalis using a scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). The results show that the fabricated ZnS nanowire/nanorod has a wurtzite (hcp) structure. In addition, based on the experimental results, the growth mechanism of the prepared nanostructures is reported. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) mapping analyses confirmed that the ZnS nanorods were stoichiometric without impurities or defects, whereas PbS quantum dots were formed inside the high-quality nanowires. The formation mechanism of ZnS nanowires is discussed based on the vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) growth model. Results demonstrated that thermal evaporation is a simple and effective techniques for producing high-quality heterostructured ZnS nanowires with potential applications in different fields.

Evaluation of the impacts of turbidity on Gilgel-Gibe I reservoir storage, Omo-Gibe River Basin, Ethiopia.

Quantity and quality of the water held in the reservoir fluctuates due to turbidity alterations. The influence of turbidity on the amount of the water held in a reservoir was described explicitly in this research. This study aimed to evaluate turbidity's impact on the Gilgel-Gibe I reservoir water. The samples were obtained by longitudinally stratifying the reservoir water throughout its course. Ten burrowed pools wrapped in transparent white plastic were used to retain water, for detection of the association between turbidity and surface water temperature, and to demonstrate the vertical variation in water temperature. The pan evaporation rate was measured using two Class A pans placed in the field to indicate the disparity in the amount of water evaporated from reservoir owing to reservoir turbidity variation. SPSS and MS Excel spreadsheet softwares were used to analyze the data. According to the results of this study, turbidity and water temperature have a significant direct relationship that is positive at 9:00 and 13:00 and negative at 17:00 observation hours. From the top layer of pool water to the bottom layer, the water temperature decreased vertically. Intensity of the light rays absorbed and scattered alters with turbidity variation and significant amounts of light rays was absorbed and scattered in the most turbid water. The reported water temperature differences between the top and bottom layers at 13:00 observation hour were 9.78 °C and 1.53 °C, for the most and least turbid pool water, respectively. Turbidity directly affects reservoir water by increasing both the water temperature and evaporation rates. Among all turbid-water samples, substantial quantity of water evaporated from the most turbid-water. For the most and least turbid water samples, the volume difference of the evaporated water from the reservoir was approximately 65.812 m3. According to these findings, if the reservoir water turbidity increases, the amount of water held in the reservoir significantly reduced due to substantial water loss.

An innovative device for in vivo and in vitro study of fragrance evaporation after application on skin or model surfaces.

An original device has been developed to measure perfume release in the air above a surface. This device has proven its originality, effectiveness, and repeatability both in vitro on different types of model surfaces and in vivo directly on the skin of the forearm of volunteers. A perfume composed of eight fragrance molecules in ethanol was used to measure evaporation in the headspace with solid phase microextraction (SPME) and gas chromatography analysis. Temperature control, time effects, system dimensions, volume and seal integrity, and SPME optimizations were investigated for the measurement device and the analytical method setup. Finally, the system's effectiveness and modularity were demonstrated with evaporation studies carried out on four different surfaces: a chemically inert glass surface, the Strat-M® model, a perfume test strip, and the skin. This original device shows promising results in providing a better understanding of the evaporation phenomena of fragrance molecules and its link with the physicochemical properties of the skin.

Crystallographic Dependence of Field Evaporation Energy Barrier in Metals Using Field Evaporation Energy Loss Spectroscopy Mapping.

Atom probe tomography data are composed of a list of coordinates of the reconstructed atoms in the probed volume. The elemental identity of each atom is derived from time-of-flight mass spectrometry, with no local chemical information readily available. In this study, we use a data processing technique referred to as field evaporation energy loss spectroscopy (FEELS), which analyzes the tails of mass peaks. FEELS was used to extract critical energetic parameters that are related to the activation energy for atoms to escape from the surface under intense electrostatic field and dependent of the path followed by the departing atoms. We focused our study on pure face-centered cubic metals. We demonstrate that the energetic parameters can be mapped in two-dimensional with nanometric resolution. A dependence on the considered crystallographic planes is observed, with sets of planes of low Miller indices showing a lower sensitivity to the field. The temperature is also an important parameter in particular for aluminum, which we attribute to an energetic transition between two paths of field evaporation between 25 and 60 K close to (002) pole. This paper shows that the information that can be retrieved from the measured energy loss of surface atoms is important both experimentally and theoretically.

Encapsulation of Hydrophobic-but-Not-Lipophilic Perfluoro Liquids Based on a Self-Assembled Double Emulsion Template via Solvent Evaporation Method.

The facile encapsulation of perfluoro liquids that are hydrophobic but not lipophilic into liposomes or microcapsules presents a significant challenge in the fields of biomedicine, dynamic optics, functional chemical applications, etc. This is due to their chemical inertness and physical immiscibility, particularly those with low boiling points. In this study, a novel strategy based on a double emulsion template via solvent evaporation is proposed after investigating the mechanism of three-phase emulsion systems. The perfluoro liquid droplets can be easily emulsified into a polymer solution as the second emulsion layer, where the polymer shell is formed during solvent evaporation in the continuum medium under proper processing controls. The morphology of particles is predictable and fits well with the linear model derived from Neumann's triangle in three-phase systems. Furthermore, a comprehensive study on the encapsulation of perfluoro ketone, which is widely used as a green fire extinguisher agent, is conducted as an example. The encapsulated perfluoro ketone showed instant thermal response upon heating while maintaining a good shelf life at room temperature. The remarkable fire suppression performance exhibited great potential for practical applications. This work offers more insight into the encapsulation of "naughty" perfluorinated chemicals and provides more possibilities for extended applications.

Spatial Confinement Engineered Gel Composite Evaporators for Efficient Solar Steam Generation.

Recently, solar-driven interfacial evaporation (SDIE) has been developed quickly for low-cost and sustainable seawater desalination, but addressing the conflict between a high evaporation rate and salt rejection during SDIE is still challenging. Here, a spatial confinement strategy is proposed to prepare the gel composite solar evaporator (SCE) by loading one thin hydrogel layer onto the skeleton of a carbon aerogel. The SCE retains the hierarchically porous structure of carbon aerogels with an optimized water supply induced by dual-driven forces (capillary effects and osmotic pressure) and takes advantage of both aerogels and hydrogels, which can gain energy from air and reduce water enthalpy. The SCE has a high evaporation rate (up to 4.23 kg m-2 h-1 under one sun) and excellent salt rejection performance and can maintain structural integrity after long-term evaporation even at high salinities. The SDIE behavior, including heat distribution, water transport, and salt ion distribution, is investigated by combining theoretical simulations and experimental results. This work provides new inspiration and a theoretical basis for the development of high-performance interfacial evaporators.