Boron nanosheets loaded with MoS2 porous sponges for water purification

Abstract Utilizing solar steam generation to treat seawater and sewage, as an emerging and effective technology, can obtain clean water. There is an abundance of water demand and a shortage of water supply in the world today. Herein, we demonstrate an integrated evaporator of boron nanosheets modified with molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) as a photothermal materials and a konjac glucomannan (KGM) sponge with excellent pore structure as a thermal insulator and water supplier for solar clean water generation. A rapid evaporation rate (1.538 kg m−2 h-1) and high solar evaporation efficiency (96.5 %) under 1-sun radiation (1 kW m−2) can be achieved in the two-dimensional structure system. This work provides a new way to design and manufacture renewable solar steam generation for water purification.