Controlling water transport to understand the highly efficient vapor generation in porous structures by a photomolecular effect without extra heat

• Applicant: Dr. Xiaoteng Zhou
• Subject Area: Physical Chemistry of Molecules, Liquids and Interfaces, Biophysical Chemistry ; Chemical and Thermal Process Engineering ; Physical Chemistry of Solids and Surfaces, Material Characterisation
• Term: since 2024
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 550194666

This project aims to elucidate how alterations in the water transport processes inside the porous structure influence the evaporation associated with a new finding, the photomolecular effect at the interface. The water transport process highly affects the position of the water-air interface when the evaporation and water transport are balanced. The presence of an internal water-air interface is posited as a prerequisite for achieving enhanced evaporation efficiency through photomolecular effects by ensuring material wetting while preserving porosity. It is needed to understand the mechanism of such a process. Moreover, the position of the water-air interface will also affect the vapor transport which is for cleaved clusters to come out after interfacial evaporation and light transport how the light reaches the water-air interface before the evaporation. The balance between these three transport processes also needs to be investigated to tune the final vapor generation efficiency. Consequently, our initial focus involves manipulating the structure of the porous materials, such as wettability and porous sizes, to regulate the transport process. Subsequently, we leverage these tailored materials to characterize both the transport processes and the rate of evaporation at the interface. Our objective is to discern the relationship between the dynamic processes of water movement resulting from the structural properties of porous materials and photomolecular effect induced evaporation. By comprehensively understanding these interdependencies, we aspire to formulate innovative material designs that harness the photomolecular effect for highly efficient vapor generation, all achieved without the need for additional heat. The ultimate application of this knowledge is envisioned in domains such as water desalination and passive cooling.

• DFG Programme: WBP Fellowship
• International Connection: USA
• Host: Professor Gang Chen, Ph.D.