Ice-Templated Zwitterionic Sponge Hydrogels for Stable and Efficient Solar Desalination in High-Salinity Brines.

ABSTRACT: Solar-driven steam generation (SSG) offers a sustainable pathway for desalination, yet achieving temperature-regulated control over macroporous structures in salt-tolerant hydrogels remains a critical challenge. Here, we report a carbon black-coated PDMAPS sponge hydrogel (PDMAPS-CB-SH) fabricated via an ice-templated polymerization strategy, where the pore size and connectivity are tuned by regulating ice-crystal growth at different prefreezing temperatures. The optimized PDMAPS-CB-SH integrates abundant interconnected pores with the intrinsic antipolyelectrolyte effect of zwitterionic networks, enabling rapid water transport and stable swelling in brines up to 10 wt % NaCl. Upon incorporation of carbon black nanoparticles, the hydrogel evaporator achieves a high evaporation rate of 1.93

SUBMITTER: Zhang C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12903110 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature