【169 Journal of Materials Science & Technology】Solar-driven pump for simultaneous lithium capture and freshwater generation from salt-lake brine
作者：Zikang Zhou, Huina Wang, Qianqian Li, Rui Gao, Kai Feng, Ruikun Pan*, Jinping Qu, Jiang Gong*, Ran
關(guān)鍵字：Lithium extraction, photothermal conversion, water evaporation, adsorption
論文來源：期刊
具體來源：Journal of Materials Science & Technology
發(fā)表時間：2025年
Zikang Zhou, Huina Wang, Qianqian Li, Rui Gao, Kai Feng, Ruikun Pan*, Jinping Qu, Jiang Gong*, Ran Niu*
Solar-driven pump for simultaneous lithium capture and freshwater generation from salt-lake brine
Journal of Materials Science & Technology (2025) Accept. (IF2025 = 14.3)
As a vital energy metal, lithium plays a crucial role in new energy technologies, particularly as electrode material for lithium-ion batteries. While salt-lake brines represent abundant lithium resources that can be extracted through environmentally friendly adsorption methods, conventional approaches are limited by low adsorption capacity and slow kinetics. To overcome these limitations, we develop a photothermal hydrogel membrane incorporating carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and lithium ion-sieves (H4Ti5O12) for concurrent lithium extraction and freshwater production. The membrane is fabricated via straightforward dip-coating and crosslinking approach on cotton cloth, yielding porous structure that facilitates adsorption site exposure and lithium ion transport. A unique vertically aligned bridge configuration is implemented to prevent salt scaling. Under 1 Sun illumination, the system achieves an exceptional lithium adsorption capacity of 50.1±1.6 mg g?1 within 5 h, enabled by efficient photothermal conversion and evaporation-induced lithium enrichment. The evaporator exhibits outstanding adsorption selectivity, operational stability, and cycling performance when processing salt-lake brines. This work presents an innovative approach for simultaneous lithium recovery and freshwater production from salt-lake brines, offering significant potential for sustainable resource utilization.