Researchers have developed a new technology that harnesses sunlight to evaporate seawater and generate clean drinking water. Instead of relying on external electricity, the approach uses solar desalination technology.
Developed by a research team from Ulsan National Institute of Science & Technology (UNIST), the system addresses common issues, such as salt accumulation.
The technology offers a sustainable solution for freshwater production.
The process delivers minimal carbon emissions by utilizing solar energy.
The method uses La0.7Sr0.3MnO3, an oxide perovskite that acts as a highly efficient photothermal material.
Device overcomes the challenge of salt accumulation
Researchers pointed out that the oxide perovskite converts solar energy into heat by forming intra-band trap states. It facilitated non-radiative recombination of photoexcited electrons and holes, thereby enhancing heat release through thermalization.
The team developed a device to overcome the challenge of salt accumulation. The device design is developed that enables one-directional fluid flow, establishing a salt gradient that pushes salt to the edges of the photothermal material, significantly reducing fouling and light shielding.
“By combining La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 with this innovative design, an impressive solar evaporation rate of 3.40 kg m⁻2 h⁻¹ under one sun is achieved, while ensuring strong antifouling capabilities in complex environments,” said researchers in the study published in the journal Advanced Energy Materials.
Breakthrough approach to enhancing the efficiency
“This work demonstrates a breakthrough approach to enhancing the efficiency and durability of solar desalination through advanced material engineering and smart design.”
The system achieves an impressive evaporation rate of 3.40 kg m⁻2 h⁻¹ (approximately 3.4 liters), vastly surpassing the typical 0.3–0.4 kg/m²/h observed under natural sunlight. Durability tests further demonstrated stable operation over two weeks in highly concentrated saline solutions with 20% salt content, exceeding the salinity of normal seawater, reported Techxplore.
Dr. Saurav Chaule, the lead author of the study, has highlighted that the inverse-L-shaped evaporator offers a sustainable approach to freshwater production and has potential applications in eco-friendly resource recovery, such as salt harvesting.
In the study, researchers demonstrated the potential of La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 as an efficient photothermal material for solar desalination. They demonstrated that the formation of intra-band trap states effectively converts solar energy into heat through the non-radiative recombination of photoexcited holes and electrons.
Breakthrough provides a practical and scalable solution
The innovative design addresses the antifouling challenge by directing salt accumulation to the edge of the photothermal material (PTM) through one-way fluid flow.
“With an evaporation rate of 3.40 kg m−2h−1 under one sun and no salt buildup on the surface, this study highlights the promise of oxide perovskites for next-generation solar desalination technologies, offering sustainable solutions for freshwater production,” said researchers in the study.
“By integrating innovative structural design with a perovskite-based photothermal material, we have developed a cost-effective, electricity-free device capable of producing 3.4 kg of freshwater per hour. This breakthrough provides a practical and scalable solution to the global water scarcity crisis,” said Professor Ji-Hyun Jang.
Researchers also suggested that a robust evaporator system can be designed in the future, with a large number of inverse-L-shaped solar evaporators likely to be incorporated into a large-area single module.
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra Prabhat, an alumnus of the Indian Institute of Mass Communication, is a tech and defense journalist. While he enjoys writing on modern weapons and emerging tech, he has also reported on global politics and business. He has been previously associated with well-known media houses, including the International Business Times (Singapore Edition) and ANI.
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