Wood–Graphene\nOxide Composite for Highly Efficient\nSolar Steam Generation and Desalination

Abstract

Solar\nsteam generation is a highly promising technology for harvesting\nsolar energy, desalination and water purification. We introduce a\nnovel bilayered structure composed of wood and graphene oxide (GO)\nfor highly efficient solar steam generation. The GO layer deposited\non the microporous wood provides broad optical absorption and high\nphotothermal conversion resulting in rapid increase in the temperature\nat the liquid surface. On the other hand, wood serves as a thermal\ninsulator to confine the photothermal heat to the evaporative surface\nand to facilitate the efficient transport of water from the bulk to\nthe photothermally active space. Owing to the tailored bilayer structure\nand the optimal thermo-optical properties of the individual components,\nthe wood–GO composite structure exhibited a solar thermal efficiency\nof ∼83% under simulated solar excitation at a power density\nof 12 kW/m². The novel composite structure demonstrated\nhere is highly scalable and cost-efficient, making it an attractive\nmaterial for various applications involving large light absorption,\nphotothermal conversion and heat localization.