Recent progress in solar-driven interfacial evaporation: Evaporators, condensers, applications and prospects

Abstract

Solar-driven interfacial evaporation (SDIE) technology has a promising application in solving the freshwater crisis, especially in areas with the limited freshwater resources. Rapid water evaporation at the interface is achieved by using the photothermal materials with broad absorption of the solar spectrum in combination with an evaporator design. In this case, the resulting vapor is condensed to produce fresh water. This provides a process that can be continuously produced to address the fresh water crisis. With more in-depth research, researchers have proposed more advanced and effective strategies to improve the evaporation and condensation performance of SDIE systems. However, there is a lack of a comprehensive and systematic summary and overview of the various advanced design strategies for evaporators and the development of condensers. In this review, we highlight the optimization strategies for solar evaporator in solar absorption, energy management, water transport, salt treatment, water-existing forms and other energy utilization to achieve efficient water evaporation. In addition, we primarily discuss the progress in condenser research, from active to passive condensation. Finally, we discuss the extended applications of interfacial evaporation such as wastewater treatment, power generation, lithium extraction and hydrogen generation with interfacial photothermal catalytic. The purposes of this paper are to introduce advanced evaporator design schemes that increase the rate of water evaporation, as well as to present research advances in the design of condensers that improve vapor condensation, thereby guiding the production of more fresh water.