Systematic Review of Material and Structural Design in Interfacial Solar Evaporators for Clean Water Production

Rational and sustainable utilization of resources is critical for the continuous development of this society. Solar energy, as one of the renewables, shows great potential in replacing part of the traditional energy supplies since it is clean, abundant, and easily convertible to thermal, electrical, and biological energies. Using solar energy as the green driving force, interfacial solar evaporation is a promising way for clean water production to alleviate global water shortage, taking advantage of its high evaporation efficiency (more than 80%) and strong adaptability toward various water sources and fields. In recent years, various kinds of materials with diverse designs have been synthesized and applied in interfacial solar evaporation for clean water production. Herein, recent progress in interfacial solar evaporators for clean water production is systematically reviewed, based on the photothermal conversion mechanisms of solar absorbers, including carbonous, semiconductor-based, and plasmatic ones. Furthermore, key design factors and strategies in interfacial solar evaporators are reviewed and discussed from material and structural design point of view, such as water transport, thermal management, latent heat for water vaporization, and salt accumulation. Finally, some perspectives related to resolving existing problems in the field are given.