Solar-Driven Dual-functional Adsorvaporator Enabling Efficient Lithium Concentration and Freshwater Generation with Life Cycle Assessment Evaluation

Solar vapor generation (SVG) has emerged as a sustainable and energy-efficient strategy for freshwater production and mineral extraction from brines. Here, the intrinsic water-salt ion transport characteristics of SVG are harnessed to develop a dual-functional “adsorvaporator”—an upcycled hybrid platform that seamlessly integrates simultaneous lithium adsorption/concentration and solar vapor generation. This adsorvaporator is constructed from a molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) photothermal components- and H_1.33Mn_1.67O₄ (HMO) ion sieves- embedded acrylamide hydrogel (MHA) with anti-salt and saturated lithium adsorption capabilities, which can enable synergistic lithium recovery and high-performance water evaporation. Under 1-sun irradiation, the optimized MHA platform achieves a fast and stable evaporation rate of 2.13 kg m⁻² h⁻¹ in a 20 wt.% sea-salt solution, demonstrating exceptional long-term stability over 150 h. Additionally, a pioneering life cycle assessment (LCA) of this integrated system reveals significant environmental benefits, including drastic reductions in carbon emissions, energy consumption, and water usage compared to conventional lithium extraction methods. This comprehensive LCA confirms that the system operates with a substantially lower carbon footprint and water footprint, while also minimizing energy demand. The study introduces a scalable, eco-efficient solution for sustainable lithium recovery, offering a transformative pathway for resource circularity and renewable energy use.