@Article{jpm.2026.087145,
AUTHOR = {Zheng Li, Xiaohan Li, Qiang Yin, Jingkun Xu},
TITLE = {Polydopamine-Coated Waste Cardboard Roll Evaporator for High-Performance Solar Desalination},
JOURNAL = {Journal of Polymer Materials},
VOLUME = {},
YEAR = {},
NUMBER = {},
PAGES = {{pages}},
URL = {http://www.techscience.com/jpm/online/detail/28225},
ISSN = {0976-3449},
ABSTRACT = {Global freshwater scarcity has stimulated increasing interest in solar-driven interfacial evaporation for decentralized water purification. However, the development of low-cost evaporators that simultaneously achieve efficient photothermal conversion, continuous water supply, and functional separation of light harvesting and water transport remains a major challenge. Herein, we report a waste-cardboard-derived Janus cylindrical evaporator that integrates spatially separated photothermal conversion and water transport functions through a simple edge-immersion polydopamine (PDA) coating strategy followed by a rolling process. The PDA-coated upper region serves as a broad-band light absorber with a solar absorption exceeding 95% across 250–2500 nm and exhibits hydrophilicity, while the uncoated lower region retains the natural capillary network of cellulose fibers for continuous water supply. Under one-sun illumination, the evaporator delivers an evaporation rate of 2.07 kg m<sup>−2</sup> h<sup>−1</sup> with a photothermal conversion efficiency of 88.1%. In practical tests, it achieves over 99.9% rejection of primary ions (Na<sup>+</sup>, Mg<sup>2+</sup>, K<sup>+</sup>, Ca<sup>2+</sup>) and removes organic dyes with efficiencies exceeding 99%. This work presents a sustainable “waste-to-clean-water” strategy that valorizes discarded cardboard, offering a promising pathway toward decentralized and low-cost solar water purification.},
DOI = {10.32604/jpm.2026.087145}
}