Hybrid hydrogel for highly efficient solar generation of steam

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10611648-B2
Application number	US-201815941080-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 30, 2018
Priority date	Mar 30, 2017
Publication date	Apr 7, 2020
Grant date	Apr 7, 2020

Abstract

Disclosed herein are water purifying networks. The networks efficiently absorb water and convert solar irradiation to heat, thereby evaporating absorbed water, which can be collected as purified water.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A water purifying material comprising an interpenetrating network comprising:
a) a light absorbing polymer; and
b) a water transport polymer,

wherein the water transport polymer comprises crosslinked polyvinyl alcohol, carboxymethyl cellulose or a salt thereof, carboxymethyl starch or a salt thereof, or a mixture thereof.

2. The network of claim 1 , wherein the light absorbing polymer comprises a polypyrrole, polyaniline, polycarbazole, polyindole, polyazepine or a copolymer thereof.

3. The network of claim 1 , wherein the light absorbing polymer comprises a dopant.

4. The network of claim 3 , wherein the dopant comprises perchlorate ion, halide ion, sulfonate ion, phosphate ion, borate ion, nitrate ion, sulfate ion, acetate ion or a mixture thereof.

5. The network of claim 4 , wherein the dopant comprises chloride ion, bromide ion, phosphate ion, tetrafluoroborate ion, or a mixture thereof.

6. The network of claim 4 , wherein the dopant is present at a doping level of at least 0.200 holes per monomer.

7. The network of claim 1 , wherein the light absorbing polymer has a Mw less than about 250,000 Da.

8. The network of claim 1 , wherein the water transport polymer comprises a hydrophilic polymer.

9. The network any of claim 1 , wherein the dry weight ratio of light absorbing polymer to water transport polymer is from about 1:0.05-1:0.25.

10. A method of making the network of claim 1 , comprising crosslinking a water-transport polymer in the presence of a light absorbing polymer.

11. A method of making the network of claim 1 , comprising polymerizing light absorbing polymer-precursor monomers in the presence of a water-transport polymer.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the water-transport polymer comprises a crosslinked water-transport polymer.

13. A method of making the network of claim 1 , comprising polymerizing water-transport polymer precursor monomers in the presence of a light absorbing polymer.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising crosslinking the water-transport polymer.

15. A method of purifying water comprising contacting water with a water purifying material comprising an interpenetrating network comprising:
i) a light absorbing polymer; and
ii) a water transport polymer

under conditions sufficient to convert the water to steam and condensing the steam to provide purified water.

16. An apparatus for purifying water, comprising
a) a brine container;
b) a water purifying material comprising an interpenetrating network comprising:
i) a light absorbing polymer; and
ii) a water transport polymer;

c) a pure water reservoir; and
d) a condensing surface;

wherein the interpenetrating network is disposed between the brine container and condensing surface, and the condensing surface is in fluid communication with the pure water reservoir.

Assignees

• Univ Texas
• Board Of Regents The Univ Of Texas Systems

Inventors

• Yu Guihua
• Zhao Fei
• Zhou Xingyi

Classifications

• B01J2220/445

  comprising a mixture of polymers · CPC title

• F24S90/00

  Solar heat systems not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• C02F1/14 Primary

  using solar energy · CPC title

• F24S70/10

  characterised by the absorbing material (absorbing coatings or surface treatment for increasing absorption F24S70/20) · CPC title

• B01J20/267

  Cross-linked polymers · CPC title