Scalable Mixed‐Dimensional Nanogenerator for the Sunlight‐Driven Water–Energy Nexus
The realization of net-zero emissions requires high-efficiency, solar-driven, and sustainable technologies that can co-generate clean water and renewable energy. We report a scalable plasma-engineered solar thermal matrix (STM) integrating graphene quantum dots (GQDs), MXene nanosheets, and a chitosan-based framework. Microplasma-assisted synthesis enables hierarchical porous architectures with angstrom-scale nanochannels, which synergistically enhance photothermal conversion, water transport, and ion mobility. The optimized STM exhibits a high photothermal efficiency of 95.7% and a solar steam generation rate of 4.2 kg m<sup>-2</sup> h<sup>-1</sup> under one sun. Its negatively charged nanochannels generate streaming potentials up to 200 mV in seawater, while embedded GQDs serve as photoluminescent probes for real-time monitoring. Outdoor trials demonstrate daily desalination of ∼30 kg m<sup>-2</sup> and stable electrical output of ∼127 mV over 9 h of solar exposure. These results establish a versatile and durable platform for decentralized water purification and energy harvesting, providing critical insights into the design of multifunctional, mixed-dimensional nanomaterials for integrated solar-driven systems.
Authors
- Wei‐Hung Chiang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6350-6696)
- Shao‐Yu Chen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3423-9768)
- Yi‐Jui Yeh
- Wei Lin (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5139-700X)
Institutions
- National Taiwan University of Science and Technology (TW)
- National Taiwan University (TW)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Small
- Published
- 2025-09-19
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1002/smll.202505941
- Citations
- 1
- Primary Topic
- Solar-Powered Water Purification Methods
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.36