Integrated strategy of solar evaporator and steam collector configurations for interfacial evaporation water purification

The scarcity of freshwater is becoming more pronounced due to the escalation of global warming and environmental pollution. Considering the enormous availability of seawater resources, maximizing the utilization of marine resources is imperative to address the issue at hand effectively. Solar desalination, with the advantages of safety, environmental preservation and energy efficiency, has become a research hotspot in freshwater acquisition applications. By optimizing light absorption, light-to-thermal conversion, thermal management, and water transport of the photothermal conversion materials, solar desalination configuration has made significant gains in evaporation rate and energy efficiency. However, the collection of clean water, one of the cores of solar desalination configuration, still suffers from significant flaws. In this review, we undertake a comprehensive analysis and detailed description of the prevailing solar evaporators, atypical evaporators, and the accompanying condensate collection mechanisms employed in the configuration of solar desalination. In addition, conventional single-stage solar desalination commonly employs two primary configurations: one-piece interface evaporation and separated interface evaporation. Finally, the unique multi-stage solar desalination configuration mainly revolves around separated photothermal and evaporative interfaces. Based on the aforementioned theoretical framework and extensive research, we further propose design strategies and concepts to enhance the efficiency of solar water purification. It is anticipated that the advancement of effective solar water desalination technology would address the serious situation of water shortage in actual society.