A silver-loaded graphene oxide-functionalized Bi-Photothermal composite nanofiber membrane for solar-driven desalination

We have identified a synergistic effect between graphene oxide (GO) and silver (Ag) that significantly enhances the light absorption capacity of silver-loaded graphene oxide (GO -Ag) composite materials. Here we have developed a bi -photothermal electrospun nanofiber membrane (EFM), combining the GO -Ag and polyacrylonitrile (PAN), to improve solar-driven desalination. The characterization results demonstrate that GO -Ag uniformly dispersed within the fiber membrane as a photothermal conversion material enables the GO -Ag/ PAN EFM to achieve a remarkable optical absorption of 97 %. And under 1 sun irradiation, the membranes rapidly reach a maximum temperature of 56.3 degrees C, showcasing exceptional photothermal conversion ability during evaporation. Additionally, the super-hydrophilic porous materials GO-Ag/PAN EFMs exhibit an impressive water evaporation rate of 1.61 kg m -2 h - 1 , accompanied by a photothermal conversion efficiency of 93.3 % under 1 sun. Moreover, the GO-Ag/PAN EFMs demonstrate a remarkable desalination of 99.9 % and salt resistance performance for seawater.