Renewable Water Harvesting by Amyloid Aerogels and Sun

Solar distillation is an appealing and facile technology for seawater desalination water purification, but constructing stable, environmentally-friendly, cost-effective solar evaporators often remain unfeasible. Here, amyloid hybrid aerogels are introduced universal renewable freshwater production by relying on the combination of sustainable materials energy, thus making process highly ecological virtually costless. Amyloid fibrils obtained from whey, a byproduct dairy industry, used as main scaffold aerogels, whose energy harvesting properties top surface enhanced bioinspired dark polymers, such polydopamine. Due to fast transport throughout porous high-yielding photothermal conversion ability surface, efficient heat insulation at bottom, aerogel exhibits evaporation rate 1.61 kg·m−2 h−1 with solar-thermal efficiency high 91.3% under 1 sun illumination. The allows desalinating various sources different salinities levels below drinking threshold recommended World Health Organization. Moreover, same evaporator in removing heavy metals, organic pollutants, bacteria, viruses water, introducing general, energy-efficient solution purification.