Hanyi Zou^1,2,#, Xinye Xu^1,3,#, Mutian Yao¹, Baoyang Lu^1,*

Journal of Polymer Materials, Vol.42, No.2, pp. 339-358, 2025, DOI:10.32604/jpm.2024.057955 - 14 July 2025

Abstract The global scarcity of clean water is an escalating issue due to climate change, population growth, and pollution. Traditional water purification technologies, while effective, often require significant energy input and complex infrastructure, limiting their accessibility. This review explores the use of conjugated polymer hydrogels as a promising solution for solar water purification. Conjugated polymer hydrogels offer unique advantages, including high photothermal conversion efficiency, effective heat management, and rapid water transport, which are crucial for efficient solar-driven water evaporation. By leveraging the properties of these hydrogels, it is possible to significantly reduce the energy required for More >

Ziyang Qiu^1,2, Hanjun Yang^1,2,*

Journal of Polymer Materials, Vol.41, No.4, pp. 329-340, 2024, DOI:10.32604/jpm.2024.057953 - 16 December 2024

Abstract Hydrogels are emerging as promising candidates for solar-driven interfacial evaporation in water purification. Our research introduces a graphite polyvinyl alcohol hydrogel (GPVA) evaporator designed as a photothermal conversion interface, showcasing high performance with an evaporation rate of 2.43 kg m⁻² h⁻¹ and an efficiency of 91.9% under solar irradiance of 1 kW m⁻². The layered graphite structure of the GPVA hydrogel enhances its ion and dye adsorption capabilities, effectively removing fluoride, iodine, and other contaminants from water. In cyclic evaporation tests, the GPVA hydrogel evaporator demonstrated remarkable stability and long-term durability, maintaining an evaporation rate of 2.43 More >

Junxiao Qiu^1,2, Sanmei Liu^3,4,*

Journal of Polymer Materials, Vol.41, No.4, pp. 315-327, 2024, DOI:10.32604/jpm.2024.057951 - 16 December 2024

Abstract Integration of solar-driven interfacial evaporation and photocatalysis is one of the most promising technologies for generating fresh water and removing pollutants. In this work, TiO₂/g-C₃N₄ photocatalysis is loaded on a hydrogel containing single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT). Due to the excellent water evaporation channel of hydrogel and the excellent photothermal conversion performance of SWCNT, as well as the good visible light absorption ability of TiO₂/g-C₃N₄, TiO₂/g-C₃N₄/SWCNT hydrogel exhibits good hydrothermal evaporation and photocatalytic activity. The optimum water evaporation rate of 1.43 kg m⁻² h⁻¹. In particular, the optimized TiO₂/g-C₃N₄/SWCNT hydrogel can also remove more than 90% methylene blue (MB) More > Graphic Abstract