Structurally ordered AgNPs@C3N4/GO membrane toward a solar-driven freshwater generation

Currently, the development of membranes with efficient absorption of solar light enables the evaporation and purification of water using solar energy. However, the resolution of the dilemma between the water evaporation rate and the ultra-deep removal of contaminants remains a challenge. Here we report a structurally ordered AgNPs@C3N4/GO (SCG) membrane with both vertical channels and layer nanostructures, which enhance the water evaporation rate and facilitate the removal efficiency of contaminants simultaneously. The water evaporation rate increases ~3.5 times in the presence of the SCG membrane, leading to an optothermal conversion efficiency of 77% under low solar intensity (1 sun) and high humidity (~65%). More importantly, the as-prepared SCG membrane is capable of clearing diverse contaminants and salts, including dyes, pathogens (e.g., bacteria, viruses, parasites), and metal ions (e.g., Cd2+, Pb2+, Cr2+, Na+, K+, Mg2+, Ca2+), with extremely high removing efficiency. We envisage that the ordered s...