Bionic design: insights from nature for solar interfacial evaporators

Abstract

Solar interfacial evaporators (SIEs) offer a promising solution for utilizing solar energy in seawater desalination, addressing the critical issue of freshwater scarcity. However, there are ongoing challenges in enhancing the overall performance and multifaceted applications of these evaporators. To further improve the performance of SIEs, inspiration can be drawn from biological structures in nature. By integrating biomimetic designs, the evaporation performance of these systems has been significantly improved, which has emerged as a compelling avenue to develop advanced solar-driven interfacial evaporation technology. Nevertheless, a comprehensive overview of the advancements in bionic structures for SIEs is currently lacking. This work aims to fill this gap by reviewing the utilization of biological structures in SIEs and systematically presenting the recent progress in biomimetic structures for enhancing their light absorption, thermal management, and water/salt transport. Furthermore, we underscore the practical applications of current biomimetic structures, discuss the existing challenges, and outline future prospects for enhancing the performance of SIEs through innovative biomimetic structural designs.