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Convenient and green hydroelectricity generation (HG) systems are widely studied to cope with the energy crisis. Electricity can be generated through streaming potential with merely water droplets. Nevertheless, the operational requirement of persistent water supply restricts the durability and practicality of HG. Solar‐driven steam generation with continuous and sufficient water flow has become a promising integration way to enhance HG sustainability. However, most evaporation‐accelerated hydroelectricity generators are threatened by excessive wetting decay and ionic erosion damage, which significantly impair charge accumulation and operational durability. To address this issue, a carbon black/polypyrrole decorated Tencel framework (CPF) with tunable water flow is fabricated through twisting and braiding technology. The modified water flow rate, height, and content ensure rapid ion migration, appropriate wetting boundary, and sufficient brine circulation, respectively. The aqueous flow and ion strength are optimized through the evaporation‐accelerated and desalination‐integrated HG. Hence, the CPF evaporator shows an efficient, self‐operating, and sustainable output of 0.73 V, 0.6 µA, and 2.38 kg m−2 h−1 in 3.5 wt.% brine under 1 sun radiation without salt deposition. The scalable, prolonged, and adaptable outdoor operation throughout the daytime ensures the clean production of electricity and freshwater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water scarcity is a serious threat to the survival and development of mankind. Interfacial solar steam generation (ISSG) can alleviate the global freshwater shortage by converting sustainable solar power into thermal energy for desalination. ISSG possesses many advantages such as high photothermal efficiency, robust durability, and environmental friendliness. However, conventional evaporators suffered from huge heat losses in the evaporation process due to the lack of efficient thermal management. Herein, hydrophilic Tencel yarn is applied to fabricate a three-dimensional double-layer fabric evaporator (DLE) with efficient multi-stage thermal management. DLE enables multiple solar absorptions, promotes cold evaporation, and optimizes thermal management. The airflow was utilized after structure engineering for enhanced energy evaporation efficiency. The evaporation rate can reach 2.86 kg·m−2·h−1 under 1 sun (1 kW·m−2), and 6.26 kg·m−2·h−1 at a wind speed of 3 m·s−1. After a long duration of outdoor operation, the average daily evaporation rate remains stable at over 8.9 kg·m−2, and the removal rate of metal ions in seawater reaches 99%. Overall, DLE with efficient and durable three-dimensional multi-stage thermal management exhibits excellent practicality for solar desalination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solar‐driven interfacial evaporation is an emerging desalination technology that can potentially relieve the freshwater scarcity issue. To obtain high and continuous evaporation rates for all‐weather, chemically engineered structural materials have been widely explored for simultaneous photothermal and electrothermal conversion. However, many previously reported fabrication processes involve poor integration and considerable energy loss. Herein, a scalable photo‐electro‐thermal textile is proposed to enable high efficiency, long‐term salt rejection, and solar‐driven desalination. Specifically, the photo‐electro‐thermal yarns with a core (commercial electric wire)‐shell (polypyrrole‐decorated Tencel) structure realize the integration of electrothermal and photothermal conversion. The wrapping eccentricity of 1.53 mm and pitch of 3 T cm−1 for the electric wire are rationally regulated to achieve a high surface temperature of over 52 °C at a 3 V DC input. As a result, exceptional and stable evaporation rates of 5.57 kg m−2 h−1 (pure water) and 4.89 kg m−2 h−1 (3.5 wt.% brine) under 1 kW m−2·radiation with a 3 V input voltage are realized. Practical application shows that the textiles can achieve high water collection of over 46 kg m−2 d−1 over the whole day of operation. The constructed photo‐electro‐thermal textile‐based evaporator provides an effective method for commercial and scalable photo‐electro‐thermal conversion to achieve high‐performance and salt‐resistant solar‐driven desalination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High field-strength elements have been regarded as one of the most important discriminations in subduction zone magma. However, the spatial distribution of Nb and Ta in subduction zone-related rocks has been rarely studied; it is still unclear whether there is a quantitative relationship between the Nb–Ta concentrations and their subduction distance. In this paper, the Nb–Ta concentrations of mafic rocks in arc tectonic systems were calculated from a statistical perspective based on the combined geophysical model and geochemical database. The results showed a typical spatial distribution pattern. The threshold value of Nb (12.20 ppm) and Ta (0.796 ppm) in arc settings was estimated by a cumulative distribution function, which can be used to determine whether the rock is generated in arc tectonic environment. A probability density function of Nb–Ta contents and related subduction distance has been obtained using kernel function estimation. The Nb–Ta concentrations are exponentially correlated with the subduction distance (

The motion detection and thermotherapy provides a convenient strategy for the diagnosis and rehabilitation assessment of joint injuries. However, it is still challenging to simultaneously achieve accurate joint motion monitoring and on‐demand thermotherapy. Herein, core‐sheath sensing yarns (CSSYs) is proposed and fabricated for excellent electrical and photothermal heating, which consists of carbon black (CB)‐coated nylon (sheath layer), silver‐plated nylon and elastic spandex yarns (core layer). The CSSYs demonstrates great joule heating performance, which reaches 75 °C at 2 V applied voltage. The good thermal management performance can be well maintained when weaving these yarns into bifunctional smart textile. Further, the optimized double‐ply CSSYs (DPCSSYs) with helically twisted structure possess several appealing sensing performance, including preferable strain sensitivity (0.854), excellent linearity (0.962), and superior durability (over 5000 cycles). The as‐woven bifunctional smart textile can provide instant and convenient thermotherapy to the injured joints, and simultaneously monitor the injury and recovery conditions of the joint. Therefore, the designed bifunctional smart textile can provide a promising route for developing next‐generation healthcare smart textile. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solar‐driven interfacial evaporation is an environmentally friendly and sustainable freshwater‐production technology with substantial market potential. Nonetheless, it encounters significant challenges related to energy‐conversion efficiency and resistance to salt crystallization. Thus, a towel‐inspired fabric‐based evaporator (TFE) containing various functional layers using carbon and cotton‐polyester‐blended fibers is designed and woven. The surface of the TFE is woven into a towel‐ring structure, which affords a high sunlight‐contact area and a superior sunlight absorption rate of 96.2%. In contrast, the hydrophilic layer at the bottom of the TFE delivers superior water‐molecule storage and conduction due to its multilayer corner‐interlocking fabric structure. Compared to commercial fabric‐based evaporators, the loop structure of the towel fabric enables water molecules to flow rapidly under the influence of wind, which effectively enhances the evaporation rate of the TFE. The optimal TFE can reach a high water‐evaporation rate of 3.72 kg m−2 h−1 under 1 kW m−2 sunlight and a wind speed of 2 m s−1, which is ascribable to sunlight/wind synergy. No precipitated salt is detected on the TFE surface after continuously evaporating a 3.5 wt.% NaCl solution for 8 h. These exceptional attributes position the TFE as a highly suitable candidate for diverse seawater desalination applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Among nitride fibers, aluminum nitride (AlN) fibers have been developed for various advanced applications due to their mechanical flexibility, high thermal conductivity, and excellent electrical insulation and chemical stability. This article presents an overview on the recent progress of AlN fibers. The properties of AlN, particularly the thermal conductivity of AlN in polymer matrix composites are introduced. Afterward, two major approaches, carbothermal reduction and nitriding polycrystalline alumina fiber, for the preparation of AlN fibers are discussed. The carbothermal reduction includes electrospinning, solution blow spinning, and chemical vapor deposition. Furthermore, some perspectives on the future directions for the preparation and application of fibrous AlN are highlighted. This review is expected to provide readers with valuable guidance on the preparation of AlN fibers and inspire researchers to explore more potential applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantifiable monitoring and management of sweat volume have attracted considerable attention because of their role in assessing physiological health and preventing dehydration. However, defective sweat monitoring and poor moisture management limit the performance of most smart textiles under moderate/profuse perspiration scenarios. In this study, a large‐scale fabrication technology is used, including braiding and weaving, to prepare a hydrophilic/hydrophobic Janus fabric (HHJF) with good directional water delivery and sweat‐volume monitoring capabilities. The HHJF consists of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) braided yarns (lower layer) and Tencel braided yarns (upper layer), which comprise a conductive yarn as the core and PTFE/Tencel yarns as the sheath with enhanced water absorption capacity. The unique functional structure design achieves the enhanced unidirectional water transport and high sweat‐sensing response for the HHJF under perspiration conditions. The optimized HHJF facilitates spontaneous droplet penetration from the hydrophobic layer to the hydrophilic layer, while enabling the real‐time detection of sweat volume of up to 2000 mL m−2 with excellent durability for over 1000 cycle tests. Thus, the exceptional perspiration management and monitoring capabilities of HHJF are expected to promote the development of practical smart textiles that enable real‐time monitoring of perspiration dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]