Preparing a photothermal membrane for clean water generation using sugarcane bagasse residuals and graphene oxide as carbon-based nanomaterials

Abstract The scarcity of freshwater, the energy crisis, and environmental pollution represent three significant threats to humanity. Bio-waste is a notable contributor to environmental pollutants and a renewable resource with considerable promise. Consequently, the issues of water scarcity and pollution emerge as pressing global challenges that demand sustainable and economically viable solutions for the generation of clean water. This research investigates the creation of photothermal membranes utilizing activated carbon derived from sugarcane waste (ACB) in conjunction with polyvinyl chloride hydrogel (PVA). These membranes, enhanced with graphene oxide (GO), demonstrate impressive solar thermal conversion efficiency and water evaporation rates, thereby fulfilling the requirements for water desalination and wastewater treatment. Experimental findings indicate that the optimal carbon content of 0.1 g in ACB-PVA hydrogels resulted in photothermal conversion efficiency of 78.8% and a water evaporation rate of 0.8 kg m −2 h −1 . The addition of GO significantly enhanced performance, with the GO/ACB-PVA hydrogel achieving an evaporation rate of 2.4 kg m −2 h −1 under solar exposure. Furthermore, the membranes effectively eliminated Reactive Red dye (RR dye) from industrial wastewater, achieving an 83% removal rate in batch tests and 65% in solar-powered systems within a two-hour time limit. This study offers a cost-effective and environmentally sustainable method for water purification and desalination, leveraging agricultural waste and renewable energy to tackle global water issues.