A Bamboo-Based Photothermal Conversion Device for Efficient Solar Steam Generation

Bamboo can be used as a good substrate material for an evaporation device because of its rich resources, low thermal conductivity, porous structure of microchannels, and high hydrophilicity. We use a simple surface self-assembly technique to load polypyrrole (PPy) onto bamboo to make solar evaporation devices. All the advantages of the PPy-bamboo solar evaporation device make it achieve 88% solar light absorption in the UV–vis–NIR region. The PPy-bamboo solar evaporation device can get a high photothermal conversion efficiency of 76.87% in the light intensity of one sun. Furthermore, the ion concentrations in the distilled water that evaporated by the PPy-bamboo solar evaporation device satisfy the drinking water standard of World Health Organization (WHO). The results of seawater desalination test and sewage treatment experiment show that the PPy-bamboo solar evaporation device has good desalination capacity and sewage treatment ability. Therefore, the PPy-bamboo solar evaporation device has a good prospect to supply a major direction to solve the difficulties with inadequate freshwater supply and treating sewage.