MXene-Coated Porous Films Prepared by Breathing Figure Method for Efficient Solar Steam Generation

The interfacial solar steam generation for seawater desalination has attracted attention because of its excellent photothermal performance and efficiency. However, the process of preparing evaporators is often complex and costly, which limits their further practicality. Here, we report an integrated solar evaporator that is easy to prepare and has good salt resistance. The porous structure of poly(methyl methacrylate) and polycarbonate (PMMA-PC) films prepared by the breathing figure (BF) method was used as the upper layer, while MXene was deposited on the as-resulted PMMA-PC film and served as a light absorption layer. Meanwhile, the hydrophilicity of the lower layer of expanded polyethylene (EPE) foam can promote the upward transfer of water and inhibit heat loss. Under one solar irradiation, the water evaporation rate of the composite film was found to be 1.79 kg m^-2 h^-1 in distilled water and 1.67 kg m^-2 h^-1 in a 15 wt % NaCl solution, exhibiting excellent evaporation performance and salt resistance. In addition, the PMMA-PC/MXene films exhibit excellent mechanical properties. Based on these merits of the PMMA-PC/MXene solar generator, it may find useful applications in practical solar interfacial evaporation. Moreover, the findings of this investigation may provide a new opportunity for the rational design of large-aperture photothermal conversion materials via a simple breathing figure method.