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Solar-thermal evaporation is a promising technology for energy-efficient desalination, but salt accumulation on solar absorbers and system longevity are the major challenges that hinder its widespread application. In this study, we present a sustainable Janus wood evaporator that overcomes these challenges and achieves a record-high evaporation efficiencies in hypersaline water, one of the most difficult water sources to treat via desalination. The Janus wood evaporator has asymmetric surface wettability, where the top layer acts as a hydrophobic solar absorber with water blockage and salt resistance, while the bottom hydrophilic wood layer allows for rapid water replenishment and superior thermal insulation. An evaporation efficiency of 82.0% is achieved for 20% NaCl solution under 1 sun, and persistent salt-resistance is observed during a 10-cycle long-term test. To ensure the environmental impact of the Janus wood evaporator, for the first time, a life cycle assessment (LCA) is conducted to compare this Janus wood evaporator with the emerging Janus evaporators, indicating a functional and more sustainable opportunity for off-grid desalination and humanitarian efforts.
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This content will become publicly available on October 1, 2026
Sustainable wood microfluidics for versatile electrochemical studies with proof-of-concept application towards environmental nitrate sensing
The adoption of single-use plastics for fabricating lab-on-chip devices used in sensors, chemical and biomedical processes is escalating into a major environmental issue. To address the global need for developing long-term sustainable solutions, we present wood microfluidics as an alternative for electrochemical sensing. The lab-on- wood-chip (LOWC) device developed in this study demonstrated (i) versatility in electrochemical applications (electropolymerization and corrosion analysis), (ii) stability under highly acidic (pH 0.5), basic (pH 14.0) and varied temperature (4◦–60 ◦C) conditions (iii) long-term consistency in performance (>12 months), and (iv) potential for on-field nitrate sensing towards environmental monitoring – in a cost-effective, simple and sustainable manner.
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- PAR ID:
- 10626869
- Publisher / Repository:
- Elsevier
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Chemical Physics Letters
- Volume:
- 876
- Issue:
- C
- ISSN:
- 0009-2614
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- 142278
- Subject(s) / Keyword(s):
- Wood microfluidics Electrochemical sensor Sustainability Nitrate sensing Environmental monitoring
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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