Review of the progress of solar-driven interfacial water evaporation (SIWE) toward a practical approach

Abstract

Solar-driven interfacial water evaporation (SIWE), which has shown a promising use in the fields of water evaporation, desalination, wastewater treatment, and other related activities, has emerged as a practical and effective method for capturing solar energy. SIWE device development and upgraded structural design with increased performance have received much attention in the last decade. In this review article, we revise the level of development achieved for different solar absorber materials and substrates, and their conceptual design in terms of light absorptivity, heat and water management, and structural engineering, along with various potential SIWE applications, including desalination, sterilization, wastewater evaporation, energy generation, and others. Finally, the progress regarding the recent advancements in scalable solar-driven clean water generation is presented. This review summarizes the inclusive development in SIWE from laboratory to practical applications, inspiring new thinking with solutions to the practical challenges and serving as an outline for future investigations.