Application of natural mineral in round-the-clock solar-driven interfacial evaporation system: A review

Abstract

In recent years, solar-driven interfacial evaporation (SIE) has gained widespread attention as an efficient seawater desalination technology. Among various materials that used for SIE system, natural mineral materials are one of the most important choices due to their high cost-effectiveness, wide availability and environmental friendliness. Notably, lot of studies have demonstrated that mineral materials can significantly enhance the performance of SIE systems in virtue of high adsorption capacity, thermal insulation, and mechanical strength. According to the three key components (the light absorber, the substrate, and the thermal storage device) of round-the-clock SIE systems, this review summarizes the start-of-the-art advancements in mineral-based SIE systems and highlights key strategies for their performance enhancement. Especially, the role of mineral materials in these SIE systems has been carefully analyzed and the relevant mechanisms have been revealed. Finally, the research gap and outlook in this field have also been identified. The review study aim to provide insights for the further development of mineral-based SIE systems.