Solar evaporation for simultaneous oil-water separation and electricity generation with Janus wood-based absorbers

Abstract

● A protocol is proposed for simultaneous oil/water separation and electricity generation.

● Oil/water separation efficiency achieves > 99% only out of solar energy.

● A derived extra electricity power of ~0.1 W/m² is obtained under solar radiation.

● The protocol offers a prospect of solar-driven water treatment and resource recovery.

Oily wastewater from ocean oil spills endangers marine ecosystems and human health. Therefore, developing an effective and sustainable solution for separating oil-water mixtures is urgent. Interfacial solar photothermal evaporation is a promising approach for the complete separation of two-phase mixtures using only solar energy. Herein, we report a carbonized wood-based absorber with Janus structure of comprising a hydrophobic top-layer and an oleophobic bottom-layer for simultaneous solar-driven oil-water separation and electricity generation. Under sunlight irradiation, the rapid evaporation of seawater will induce a separation of oil-water mixtures, and cause a high salt concentration region underlying the interface, while the bottom “bulk water” maintains in a low salt concentration, thus forming a salinity gradient. Electricity can be generated by salinity gradient power. Therefore, oil-water separation efficiency of > 99% and derived extra electricity power of ~0.1 W/m² is achieved under solar radiation, demonstrating the feasibility of oil-water separation and electricity production synchronously directly using solar energy. This work provides a green and cost-effective path for the separation of oil-water mixtures.

Graphical abstract

Keywords

Oily wastewater / Carbonized wood / Salinity gradient / Electricity generation / Solar irradiation

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