Polysulfide nanoparticles-reduced graphene oxide composite aerogel for efficient solar-driven water purification

Abstract Along with the environmental pollution, the scarcity of clean water seriously threatens the sustainable development of human society. Recently, the rapid development of solar evaporators has injected new vitality into the field of water purification. However, the industry faces a considerable challenge of achieving comprehensive purification of ions, especially the efficient removal of mercury ions. In this work, we introduce an ideal mercury-removal platform based on facilely and cost-effectively synthesized polysulfide nanoparticles (PSNs). Further development of PSN-functionalized reduced graphene oxide (PSN-rGO) aerogel evaporator results in achieving a high evaporation rate of 1.55 kg m−2 h−1 with energy efficiency of 90.8% under 1 sun. With the merits of interconnected porous structure and adsorption ability, the photothermal aerogel presents overall purification of heavy metal ions from wastewater. During solar desalination, salt ions can be rejected with long-term stability. Compared with traditional water purification technologies, this highly efficient solar evaporator provides a new practical method to utilize clean energy for clean water production.