High‐Performance Integrated Solar Steam Generator for Synergetic Freshwater Production, Salt Harvesting, and Electricity Generation

Abstract

Photothermal desalination driven by solar energy has emerged as a promising strategy for freshwater and clean energy production. One of the great challenges in interfacial evaporation is simultaneous achievement of superior freshwater production, salt harvesting, and electricity generation in an evaporator. Herein, an all‐inclusive photothermal solar steam generator using high‐performance photothermic converting film is reported, featuring in interconnected fibrous network, broadband absorption, heat insulation, and unidirectional water transfer. The superior characteristics can readily form a constant salinity gradient in system during vaporization, not only realizing the spatial isolation of evaporation and salt crystallization zones to harvesting freshwater and salt separately, but more importantly achieving continuous electricity generation from salinity gradient power without trade‐offs. Such stable solar steam generator integrated with efficient photothermal converting material and rational structural design highlights the practical consideration toward solar distillation by deep desalination, which can not only sustainably achieve the freshwater and salt production, but collaboratively generate the electricity for emergency needs.

Boosting Photo-thermo-electric Conversion via a Donor–Acceptor Organic Cocrystal Strategy

“…The global energy crisis has become a pressing issue that requires immediate attention. Solar energy, an infinite resource, is considered a sustainable alternative to conventional energy sources. − Currently, there are two primary methods of converting solar energy into electrical energy. The first method involves photovoltaic power generation technology that relies on electron–hole pairs.…”

Advances in photothermal regulation strategies: from efficient solar heating to daytime passive cooling

“…21h, aside from the photothermal membranes, a dry blotting paper extended from the end of the PA 66/CB fiber membrane was added for unidirectional salt water transfer. 399 As the water evaporated, salt ions gradually increased from the inlet to the outlet (Fig. 21h).…”

“…The reported salt producing photothermal materials mainly adopt the following strategies: zero liquid discharge (ZLD) 410 and water flow control for local salt accumulation. 399,411,412 ZLD is an effective method for achieving salt production during the evaporation process of light and hot water. A typical ZLD process consists of a concentration system and a crystallization system.…”

Boosting Water Evaporation by Construction of Photothermal Materials with a Biomimetic Black Soil Aggregate Structure

“…Fresh water and energy scarcity have become two of the most challenging issues of the 21st century as populations grow and fossil resources deplete. − Considering the environmental and economic aspects, solar-driven evaporation, − as an environmentally friendly technology, is now a reliable way to get fresh water. − Benefiting from a lot of exploration work by researchers in the past, the interface isolation evaporator has been widely applied, including water transport, thermal management, and the design of photothermal materials to achieve high photothermal conversion capacity, − which can maximize the evaporation rate compared with the traditional floating evaporation device, which is in direct contact with water. − However, considering the salt pollution of the photothermal evaporation layer in the long-term desalination, the photothermal conversion technology is still difficult to achieve long-term stable operation in practical application.…”