Jellyfish-like porous hydrogel evaporator

Simultaneous water production and Cs removal

A bilayer design integrating photothermal evaporation and selective cesium adsorption in one device; photothermal assistance halves the adsorption equilibrium time.

Yun, Wang · Chen-Yang, Li · Li-Ping, Fang · Yan-Mei, Zhu · Ma, Haoran · Cheng, Changjing · Liang, Ting · Lv, Xingbin · Yu, Hairong

Separation and Purification Technology 2026

Specifications

Evaporation rate

{'zh': '3.19', 'en': '3.19'} kg m⁻² h⁻¹

Evaporation efficiency

{'zh': '96.16', 'en': '96.16'} %

Adsorption equilibrium time (with photothermal assistance)

{'zh': '1', 'en': '1'} h

Cs+ removal efficiency (real seawater)

{'zh': '98.5', 'en': '98.5'} %

Cycle number

{'zh': '40', 'en': '40'}

Advantages

One-step water and Cs removal

The bilayer design couples photothermal evaporation and cesium adsorption in one unit, eliminating separate treatment steps.

Adsorption time halved

Photothermal assistance reduces the adsorption equilibrium time from 2 h to 1 h, speeding up the process.

Works in real seawater

Cs+ removal efficiency remains above 98.5% in real seawater, demonstrating resilience in complex ionic environments.

Durable and reusable

High mechanical properties enable over 40 cycles of evaporation and adsorption, reducing long-term operational costs.

Applications

• Nuclear wastewater treatment：Simultaneously desalinates nuclear wastewater and traps radioactive cesium in the adsorption layer, yielding low-activity brine.
• Radioactive cesium removal：Selectively captures Cs+ via KCuHCF-loaded hydrogel, maintaining >98.5% removal even in real seawater.
• Seawater desalination：Produces freshwater from seawater at 3.19 kg m⁻² h⁻¹ while adsorbing cesium ions.
• Solar-driven water treatment：Uses solar energy to drive interfacial evaporation and photothermally enhanced adsorption without external power.