Photo-thermo-electric materials for combined water desalination and electricity generation

ongoing

Among the different global challenges that we are facing today, the energy crisis and freshwater scarcity represent two of the most critical ones, according to international institutions such as the World Health Organization and the International Energy Agency. Moreover, they are expected to worsen with rising populations and the industrialisation of emerging countries. To address these, sustainable and eco-friendly solutions are imperative. In this context, solar energy, an abundant and green resource, can be leveraged to meet both needs. PHOTEM will do so with an innovative approach that efficiently combines photothermal desalination with thermoelectric generation, driven by the development of novel high-performing and environmentally friendly materials. In this approach, photothermal materials (PTMs) directly convert solar energy into heat, facilitating the evaporation of clean water from seawater. Concurrently, the thermoelectric generator (TEG) uses the radiated waste heat from photothermal conversion process to generate electricity through the Seebeck effect. The project’s ambitious goal is to design, synthesize, and integrate these novel materials into a unified system that optimizes water evaporation rates and electricity generation while minimizing environmental impact. PHOTEM focuses on three key components: the PTM, the TEG, and the engineering of their integration (EOI). By advancing the efficiency of these components beyond the current state-of-the-art, the project aims to achieve high evaporation rates, improved solar evaporation efficiencies, and cost-effective, stable TEG. PHOTEM’s innovative approach aligns with global sustainability goals, offering a scalable and impactful solution to the intertwined issues of water and energy scarcity.