Recently, the research team of Prof. Liu Junjie with the School of Physical Science and Technology of IMU(SPST) and Research Fellow Zhao Yan with the College of Energy Materials and Chemistry of IMU(CEMC) has jointly guided the postgraduates to make new progress in the research of solar photothermal conversion materials which have superior antibacterial and antifouling properties. The research result titled “Four-birds-with-one-stone: a multifunctional Ti-based material for solar-driven water evaporation” has been published in the international top journal-Nano Research. Nano Research is an international top academic journal which is administered by the Ministry of Education of P.R.C. and operated by Tsinghua University. It is one of the top-10 journals on the list of “Most Internationally Influential Academic Journals of China”.(URL of the article: https://www.sciopen.com/article/10.1007/s12274-023-6259-9)
Solar seawater desalination is a technology of seawater desalination which, free from pollution, does not consume conventional energy and produce the freshwater that has a high purity. The core materials for the equipment of solar seawater desalination are highly effective solar photothermal conversion and transfer materials which are seawater-corrosion resistant and fouling resistant. It is a huge challenge to improve the antifouling capacity of solar photothermal conversion materials while bettering heat energy transfer efficiency and heat conversion capacity of the materials. This research has proposed an appropriate strategy to optimize Ti-based materials in 4 aspects. Ag-doped TiO2 nanoarray is first formed with Ti foams as substrate materials. And Tf-TA2/Ag sample displays excellent photothermal performance, which enhances the capacity of seawater evaporation and salt removal. Moreover, the sample shows excellent and sustained antibacterial and anti-oil-adhesion properties and displays great potential for the treatment of water of different sources. And this four-birds-with-one-stone approach provides a new perspective for the study of the performance improvement of core materials of solar seawater desalination equipment.
The schematic diagram of the preparation process for the Tf-TA/Ag sample and its multifunctional applications
The work has been jointly completed by the research team of Prof. Liu Junjie and Research Fellow Zhao Yan. Liu Junjie and Zhao Yan are the corresponding authors. Li Yannan, a teacher with SPST and Sun Yaning, a postgraduate student, are the co-first authors. IMU is the institution that the first authors are with. This work is financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 52263032, 62062053, 22375109, and 52061034), the Natural Science Foundation of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region (IMAR)(Grant Nos. 2020BS01004 and 2022QN03012), Young Science and Technology Talent Program of IMAR (Grant No. NJYT23001) and a Talent Development Fund of IMAR.
A brief introduction to the corresponding authors:
Liu Junjie, a professor with SPST whose major research field is biophysics, focuses on the theoretical and experimental study of how the structure and function of protein with special functions and nanoscale structure influence cellular morphology. He is vice president of Inner Mongolia Biophysics and Bioinformation Society and included in “Grassland Talent” Program of IMAR. Liu has led and completed the research of 2 projects supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the study of key science and technology projects supported by the Ministry of Education and the research work of 2 projects supported by the Natural Science Foundation of IMAR. In 2009, Prof. Liu won the 1st prize of the 1st Natural Science Awards of IMAR.
Zhao Yan, research fellow with CEMC who joined IMU under Steed Program, is also one included in Grassland Talent Program and Young Scientific and Technological Talent Program of IMAR. He acts as editorial board members of such journals as Rare Metals, Tungsten, Microstructures and Polyoxometalates. He is director of Innovative Medicine and Medical Material Branch of China Medical Science Society of Hydropower and member of the Energy Storage Committee of the Chemical Industry and Engineering Society of China. Zhao focuses on studying and developing materials for electrochemical energy storage, film-based power generation/ sensing materials and micro-nano devices. Research Fellow Zhao Yan has led the research of 11 projects supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, published over 90 SCI articles which have been cited over 3,500 times whose H factor is 32. Zhao also has 11 nationally authorized patents.
