Multilevel design strategies of high-performance interfacial solar vapor generation: A state of the art review

Abstract

Interfacial solar vapor generation has recently emerged as a promising technology because of its high solar evaporation efficiency and many studies have been conducted from multilevel, i.e., material level, component level, and system level. However, there is still a lack of timely and systematic review of these studies. Thus, this study provides a state of the art review regarding the multilevel designs of interfacial solar vapor generation. At the material level, the study reviews the developments of atomic/molecular-scale designs and nano/micro-scale designs. The atomic/molecular-scale designs mainly involve energy band adjustment and molecular engineering; while the nano/micro-scale designs mainly include material composition regulation and material structure adjustment. At the component level, the study mainly focuses on the fast developments of the key components, such as the water supplier, thermal insulator, ambient air and water, and vapor condenser, and their interactions. Regarding the system-level design strategies, the study reviews and analyzes the latest progress in integrating interfacial solar vapor generation with other functional systems for round-the-clock water production, water-related application, and co-generation of freshwater and electricity. In the end, the study discusses and states the challenges faced and future research directions of this technology, especially on its wide and large-scale applications.