High Photothermal Conversion Efficiency Research Articles

Nanoparticles based single and tandem stable solar selective absorber coatings with wide angular solar absorptance

Solar selective absorber coatings with wide angular solar absorptance aids in attaining high photo-thermal conversion efficiency for solar thermal systems. In this regard, nanoparticles-based absorber coatings were developed on stainless steel grade 304 by combining the impregnation method, solvothermal process, and dip-coating technique. Developed nanocomposite (SiO 2 nanoparticles in transition metal oxide matrix) based single layer absorber coating with nano void textured surface, exhibits solar absorptance of 0.92 and spectral emittance of 0.12. MgF 2 nanoparticles based anti-reflective layer on single-layer absorber coating improves the solar absorptance to 0.94 by destructive interference mechanism. Both nanoparticles based single and tandem absorber coatings show wide angular solar absorptance of 0.88 and 0.89, respectively, at an incidence angle of 50°. Besides, developed absorber coatings show lower thermal emissivity of 0.17 and good photo-thermal conversion efficiencies at high operating temperatures (400–500 °C). These developed absorber coatings offer excellent thermal stability at an open atmospheric condition till operating temperature, such as 400 °C for 100 h. Selective nature with wide angular solar absorptance and low heat loss behaviour of stable absorber coating show the photo-thermal conversion efficiency of 91% can improve the performance of receiver tubes in solar thermal systems. • Cost-effective and novel nanoparticles based single and tandem absorber coatings. • Nanocomposite based absorber coating exhibits wide angular solar absorptance. • Tandem layer (MgF 2 AR/nanocomposite) absorber shows solar absorptance of 0.94 • Absorber coatings shows excellent photo-thermal conversion efficiencies (>90%). • Absorber coatings are thermally stable at 400 °C for 100 h with good adhesion.

Anti-biofouling photothermal film for solar steam generation based on oxygen defects rich and haloperoxidase mimic active V6O13

As a promising sea water desalination technique, solar evaporation has attracted massive attention. But in solar steam generation system, the photothermal film often becomes invalid because of bio-fouling. Haloperoxidase is an ideal choice to reverse this situation, which can catalyze conversion from Br- to HBrO and prevent adhesion of microorganism directly. Herein, oxygen defect rich V6O13 with high photothermal conversion efficiency and haloperoxidase mimic activity is synthesized. As confirmed by Density Function Theory calculations, oxygen defect can strengthen adsorption of V6O13 towards H2O2 and Br-, which enhances haloperoxidase mimic activity greatly. Oxygen defect rich V6O13 also exhibits excellent photothermal conversion property. A photothermal film is fabricated from oxygen defect rich V6O13 and polyacrylonitrile with electrospinning technique. Under 1 ​kW ​m−2, its evaporation rate reaches 1.25 ​kg ​m−2 ​h−1 with efficiency of 85.3%. The concentrations of Na+, K+, Ca2+ and Mg2+ have satisfied the standard of drinking water. More importantly, haloperoxidase mimic activity endows the film perfect anti-biofouling ability and suitable for long time water evaporation in marine environment. It can be expected photothermal film with anti-biofouling ability will exhibits a promising prospect in seawater desalination and sewage treatment.

Multifunctional Magnetic CuS/Gd2O3 Nanoparticles for Fluorescence/Magnetic Resonance Bimodal Imaging-Guided Photothermal-Intensified Chemodynamic Synergetic Therapy of Targeted Tumors.

Chemodynamic therapy (CDT), which consumes endogenous hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) and causes oxidative damage to tumor cells, shows tremendous promise for advanced cancer treatment. However, the rate of ROS generation based on the Fenton reaction is prone to being restricted by inadequate H2O2 and unattainable acidity in the hypoxic tumor microenvironment. We herein report a multifunctional nanoprobe (BCGCR) integrating bimodal imaging and photothermal-enhanced CDT of the targeted tumor, which is produced by covalent conjugation of bovine serum albumin-stabilized CuS/Gd2O3 nanoparticles (NPs) with the Cy5.5 fluorophore and the tumor-targeting ligand RGD. BCGCR exhibits intense near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence and acceptable r1 relaxivity (∼15.3 mM-1 s-1) for both sensitive fluorescence imaging and high-spatial-resolution magnetic resonance imaging of tumors in living mice. Moreover, owing to the strong NIR absorbance from the internal CuS NPs, BCGCR can generate localized heat and displays a high photothermal conversion efficiency (30.3%) under 980 nm laser irradiation, which enables photothermal therapy and further intensifies ROS generation arising from the Cu-induced Fenton-like reaction for enhanced CDT. This synergetic effect shows such an excellent therapeutic efficacy that it can ablate xenografted tumors in vivo. We believe that this strategy will be beneficial to exploring other advanced nanomaterials for the clinical application of multimodal imaging-guided synergetic cancer therapies.

Ultra-homogeneous Cu2−xSe nanoparticles as near-infrared II plasmonic phototheranstics for photothermal/chemodynamic synergistic therapy of liver cancer

Laser mediated photothermal/chemodynamic co-therapy is widely applied for anti-cancer treatment due to its good therapeutic effect. However, the laser wavelength for effectively targeting deep tumor tissues can decide whether or not it is a key premise of irradiation treatment. In this study, a super-homogenous and highly dispersive spherical nanoparticle Cu2-XSe was prepared, which displayed a strong surface plasmon resonance (SPR) peak in the near-infrared region (NIR)-II and high Fenton catalytic efficiency. The results of in vitro experiments showed that Cu2-XSe nanoparticles exhibited high photothermal conversion efficiency under the excitation of NIR-II laser irradiation, which significantly improved its ability to produce ·OH. In a tumor-bearing mouse model, the combination of Cu2-XSe and photothermal/chemodynamic co-therapy guided by the real-time photoacoustic imaging in the NIR-II could effectively inhibit tumor growth and exhibit good in vivo/in vitro biocompatibility. In summary, this Cu2-XSe nanoparticle-based NIR-II laser-mediated photothermal/chemodynamic co-therapy strategy is expected to provide a new option for the diagnosis and treatment of liver cancer.

Enhanced Solar Evaporation Using a Scalable MoS2 -Based Hydrogel for Highly Efficient Solar Desalination.

Interfacial photo-vapor conversion has been suggested as a cost-effective and sustainable technology for seawater desalination. However, the conversion performance was still limited by some drawbacks, like salt accumulation and poor mechanical stability. Herein, a scalable MoS2 -based porous hydrogel (SMoS2 -PH) with good mechanical stability and salt resistance was successfully constructed through a crosslinking foaming polymerization method. With the high porosity (92.63 %), the SMoS2 -PH performed an impressive evaporation rate of 3.297 kg m-2 h-1 and photothermal conversion efficiency of 93.4 % under 1-sun illumination. Most importantly, the SMoS2 -PH could maintain high and stable photothermal properties for 15 days on the surface of seawater. We believe that the excellent salt resistance, the high photothermal conversion efficiency, the ease of scale preparation method and the available commercial MoS2 make the SMoS2 -PH a promising device for full-scale seawater desalination.

Enhanced Solar Evaporation Using a Scalable MoS2‐Based Hydrogel for Highly Efficient Solar Desalination

AbstractInterfacial photo‐vapor conversion has been suggested as a cost‐effective and sustainable technology for seawater desalination. However, the conversion performance was still limited by some drawbacks, like salt accumulation and poor mechanical stability. Herein, a scalable MoS2‐based porous hydrogel (SMoS2‐PH) with good mechanical stability and salt resistance was successfully constructed through a crosslinking foaming polymerization method. With the high porosity (92.63 %), the SMoS2‐PH performed an impressive evaporation rate of 3.297 kg m−2 h−1 and photothermal conversion efficiency of 93.4 % under 1‐sun illumination. Most importantly, the SMoS2‐PH could maintain high and stable photothermal properties for 15 days on the surface of seawater. We believe that the excellent salt resistance, the high photothermal conversion efficiency, the ease of scale preparation method and the available commercial MoS2 make the SMoS2‐PH a promising device for full‐scale seawater desalination.

Dual-phase injectable thermosensitive hydrogel incorporating Fe3O4@PDA with pH and NIR triggered drug release for synergistic tumor therapy

Synergistic tumor ablation strategies combining photothermal therapy (PTT) and chemotherapy have unique advantages in solving thermal damage and pharmaceutical side effects to normal tissues. An excellent near-infrared (NIR) triggered drug repository system can realize on-demand chemotherapeutic drug release and hyperthermia-assisted apoptosis to combat tumor proliferation. Herein, an injectable thermosensitive hydrogel system CS/HPC/GP-Fe3O4@PDA (Gel) was proposed, which used dual-phase chitosan/hydroxypropyl cellulose (CS/HPC) composite network incorporating polydopamine (PDA) -modified Fe3O4 nanocubes as NIR-responsive carriers, loaded with doxorubicin hydrochloride (DOX), a potent antitumor drug. The dense porous structure of Gels effectively minimized the advance leakage of therapeutic agents and triggered the release of DOX through photothermal conversion, while showing pH and NIR power density dependence. This stimulus-responsive release behavior and high photothermal conversion efficiency from Fe3O4@PDA NCs allowed the simultaneous action of PTT and chemotherapy to efficiently kill tumor cells in vitro. In addition, the Gel system was non-cytotoxic and degraded rapidly upon completion of its therapeutic mission, indicating outstanding potential as a tumor ablation material.

Preparation of Polypyrrole/Boron Nitride Composites and Composite Sponges for Efficient Photothermal Utilization

AbstractPhotothermal materials can improve the photothermal conversion efficiency. Here, we design and prepare a photothermal material which has both high light harvesting ability and high thermal conductivity for efficient utilization of light energy. Polypyrrole (PPy) was polymerized in the surface of boron nitride (h‐BN) to form polypyrrole/boron nitride (h‐BN/PPy) composites. The h‐BN/PPy composites can be dispersed in glycol‐water solution to form nanofluids with photothermal conversion properties. To further expand the field of h‐BN/PPy systems. By loading h‐BN and PPy on melamine sponge, MF/h‐BN/PPy composite sponges (MFBP) with high hydrophobicity was creatively obtained. The composite sponges can float on the surface of simulated seawater and has rich porous structure, which is conducive to the escape of water vapor. The evaporation rate of simulated seawater reached 1.21 kg m−2 h−1. Such a composite with simple preparation process and low energy consumption but high photothermal conversion efficiency has promise in photothermal conversion.

Nano-Ag modified bio-based loofah foam/polyethylene glycol composite phase change materials with higher photo-thermal conversion efficiency and thermal conductivity

Composite phase change materials have been extensively researched and applied in the field of thermal energy storage management and photo-thermal conversion. In this research, the loofah-based porous carbon (BPC) was modified with nano-Ag particles through chemical reduction method, and then a novel polyethylene glycol (PEG)/modified bio-based loofah porous carbon (BPC-Ag) shape-stable composite phase change material (SSPCM) was prepared. The experimental results indicated that the addition of nano-Ag particles not only considerably improved the thermal conductivity of the PEG/BPC-Ag composite PCMs (from 0.349 W m−1 K−1 to 0.632 W m−1 K−1) compared to the PEG/BPC composite PCMs, but also significantly improved its photo-thermal conversion efficiency (from 76.8 % to 92.3 %). In addition, the PEG/BPC-Ag has excellent thermal stability and reusability, which exhibited favorable phase change performance even after 100 thermal cycles. The results showed that the PEG/BPC-Ag has broad application prospects in the fields of photo-thermal conversion and thermal energy storage management.

Black phosphorus-based CuS nanoplatform: Near-infrared-responsive and reactive oxygen species-generating agent against environmental bacterial pathogens

Over the last few years, the two-dimensional (2D) material black phosphorus (BP) has been highlighted for its potential in various biomedical applications, owing to its excellent physical and chemical properties. Nevertheless, the synergistic photothermal–antibacterial effects of BP when combined with other semiconducting materials against pathogenic bacteria have rarely been explored. In this study, the synergistic photothermal–antibacterial activity of a BP-based CuS (CB) nanoplatform against environmental bacterial pathogens was evaluated. A low-temperature solution synthesis method was utilized to prepare CuS nanoparticles that were immobilized onto BP nanosheets. The resulting CB nanocomposite was characterized using X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The antibacterial activity of the samples was evaluated by determining their minimum inhibitory concentration and bactericidal activity following near-infrared irradiation. The results revealed that CB nanocomposites showed higher antibacterial activity than other samples owing to the high photothermal conversion efficiency. In addition, the plausible antibacterial mechanisms, such as the formation of reactive oxygen species and bacterial membrane disruption, were evaluated. The prepared 2D semiconductor exhibiting synergistic photothermal–antibacterial activity will serve as a good nanoplatform against multidrug-resistant pathogens shed in the environment.

Novel solar membrane distillation system based on Ti3C2TX MXene nanofluids with high photothermal conversion efficiency

As a new desalination process, membrane distillation (MD) technology effectively combines thermal treatment with membrane separation and has great commercial application potential owing to its lower operating temperature and pressure requirements. Meanwhile, solar energy can be used to save conventional fossil energy consumption. However, the high efficient solar membrane distillation (SMD) with a simple system design is still challenging due to the low photo-thermal conversion efficiency. In this work, a new type of photo-thermal conversion material based on Ti3C2Tx MXene was developed and further integrated into a novel SMD system. In this system, the distillation process is driven by sunlight irradiating photo-thermal conversion particles to heat the feedwater, completely eliminating the extra energy input. Specifically, single-layer Ti3C2Tx MXene is selected as the high efficient photo-thermal conversion particle. Experiments results show that the membrane flux of the system can reach 2.375 kg·m−2·h−1, much higher than that of most reported SMD systems. Our research provides both experimental and theoretical basis for achieving efficient utilization of solar energy and membrane distillation seawater desalination.

Self-Assembled Metallacage with Second Near-Infrared Aggregation-Induced Emission for Enhanced Multimodal Theranostics.

The construction of supramolecular coordination complexes (SCCs) featuring prominent cancer theranostic functions is an appealing yet significantly challenging task. In this study, we rationally designed and facilely constructed a prism-like metallacage C-DTTP with efficient fluorescence emission in the second near-infrared (NIR-II) region through the assembly of an aggregation-induced emission-active four-arm ligand with 90° Pt acceptors Pt(PEt3)2(OTf)2. C-DTTP held the longest maximum emission wavelength (1005 nm) compared with those previously reported SCCs up to now and exhibited both a high photothermal conversion efficiency (39.3%) and significantly superior reactive oxygen species generation behavior to the precursor ligand. In vitro and in vivo assessments demonstrated that the metallacage-loaded nanoparticles with excellent biocompatibility and stability were capable of simultaneously affording precise tumor diagnosis and complete tumor elimination by means of NIR-II fluorescence/photothermal dual imaging-guided photodynamic/photothermal synergistic therapy.

Liposome-templated gold nanoparticles for precisely temperature-controlled photothermal therapy based on heat shock protein expression

Mild temperature photothermal therapy is gaining more and more attention due to high safety, high specificity and moderate efficacy. However, the therapeutical outcome of mild photothermal therapy is limited due to the overexpression of heat shock proteins (HSPs). Therefore, the precise management of HSP expression is the key to improvement of mild temperature photothermal therapy. However, the correlation between HSP expression and photothermal temperature in vivo is still unclear. To precisely control the photothermal temperature by managing the HSP expression, we quantified the HSP expression at different photothermal temperatures after irradiation on liposome-templated gold nanoparticles, which have high photostability, high photothermal conversion efficiency and low temperature fluctuation (smaller than 1 ℃). We found that the expression of HSP70 was least at 47 ℃, which was the optimal temperature for HSP management. We chose to co-administrate HSP70 inhibitor during 47 ℃ photothermal therapy, leading to greatly enhanced tumor inhibition. Our precise temperature-controlled photothermal therapy based on HSP expression offers a new strategy for clinical tumor photothermal therapy.

Self-assembled Cu2−xS nanochains network with tunable diameters for efficient photothermal conversion

Cu 2−x S nanochains network (NCNW) with tunable diameter in the range of 5–9 nm is prepared by a self-assembly strategy. Control experiments reveal that poly (sodium 4-styrenesulfonate) plays a key role in guiding the assembly of the nanochains. The Cu 2−x S NCNW demonstrates a broad localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) band in the near-infrared-Ⅱ region, which matches the optical window of biological tissues. The LSPR band of the Cu 2−x S NCNW red-shifts and intensifies with the increase of diameter. The Cu 2−x S NCNW with an average diameter of 8.7 nm exhibits a high photothermal conversion efficiency of 80.7% under 808 nm laser (0.75 W cm −2 ). Furthermore, the thermal effect stability of the Cu 2−x S NCNW is also good. In vitro experiments demonstrate that all the nanochains possess low cell cytotoxicity. The 8.7 nm Cu 2−x S NCNW own the maximum cellular uptake, and can cause> 90% apoptosis rate of Hela cells under low power density laser (808 nm, 0.75 W cm −2 ), demonstrating its promising application in photothermal therapy. • Cu 2−x S nanochains network with tunable diameter is synthesized. • The Cu 2−x S NCNW exhibits strong LSPR in the Near-Infrared region. • The 8.7 nm Cu 2−x S NCNW exhibits high PCE of 80.7% under 808 nm laser. • The 8.7 nm NCNW has highest cellular uptake and photothermal cell ablation ability.

Synthesis of urchin-like W18O49 and its application in photocatalysis and tumor photothermal therapy

• Urchin-like W 18 O 49 is synthesized by using a one-step solvothermal method. • Adsorption and photocatalytic performance and influence of pH on them have been studied. • Urchin-like structure can adsorb dye molecules very well due to its high porosity and specific surface area. • Urchin-like W 18 O 49 presents excellent photothermal properties and inhibitory effect on melanoma cells under laser irradiation. In this study, using diethylene glycol as a soft template and one-step solvothermal method, we synthesized sea urchin-like W 18 O 49 . The physicochemical test results showed that the obtained W 18 O 49 had excellent adsorption and photocatalytic activity. In addition, the obtained sea urchin-like W 18 O 49 exhibited strong near-infrared absorption performance and high photothermal conversion efficiency of 41.8% under the irradiation of 980 nm laser. After 480 s of 980 nm laser irradiation (2.0 W/cm 2 ), the temperature of its aqueous dispersion (1.0 mg/mL) could rise by 49.1 °C rapidly. The results of the cell culture in vitro and the animal experiments in vivo showed that W 18 O 49 had good biocompatibility and could effectively inhibit melanoma cells (B16F10) by using the photothermal effect, showing a good application prospect.

Liquid exfoliation of V8C7 nanodots as peroxidase-like nanozymes for photothermal-catalytic synergistic antibacterial treatment

Nanozymes are effective antibiotics that use reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced by Fenton/Fenton-like reactions to kill bacteria. However, its activity is still not satisfactory and requires large amounts of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) with side effects on normal tissues. Herein, ultrasmall V8C7 nanodots (NDs) are successfully constructed by the liquid-phase exfoliation method for photothermal-catalytic synergistic antibacterial treatment. The prepared V8C7 NDs are horseradish peroxidase (HRP)-like nanozymes that can efficiently catalyze H2O2 to produce a large amount of ROS. Unlike traditional HRP-like nanozymes, V8C7 NDs can have a good catalytic effect under slightly acidic conditions (pH=5.5). Moreover, V8C7 NDs have good near-infrared (NIR) absorption and high photothermal conversion efficiency (PTCE, 50.39%), which can be used for photothermal treatment (PTT) of bacteria. In addition, the mild photothermal effect can further enhance the HRP-like catalytic activity of V8C7 NDs, thereby further enhancing the antibacterial performance of V8C7 NDs. In vitro results show that V8C7 NDs can effectively eradicate Escherichia coli (E. coli, gram-negative) and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA, gram-positive) under laser irradiation and the presence of H2O2, possessing spectral antibacterial properties. More importantly, V8C7 NDs display satisfactory therapeutic effects on wounds infected by MRSA in vivo, and their toxicity is negligible, suggesting that they may have great potential for application as powerful and safe antibacterial agents. This work presents a practical antibacterial strategy by combining PTT and catalytic therapy to achieve efficient treatment of bacteria-infected wounds. Statement of significance(1) Ultrasmall V8C7 NDs were prepared by the liquid-phase exfoliation method.(2) V8C7 NDs showed good photothermal, catalytic properties.(3) V8C7 NDs achieved satisfactory photothermal-catalytic synergistic antibacterial treatment.

Self-Regulating Solar Steam Generators Enable Volatile Organic Compound Removal through In Situ H2O2 Generation.

Interfacial solar steam generation for clean water production suffers from volatile organic compound (VOC) contamination during solar-to-steam conversion. Here, we present a solar steam generator based on the integration of melamine foam (MF), polydopamine (PDA), and Ag/AgCl particles. Together with the high photothermal conversion efficiency (ca. 87.8%, 1 kW/m2) achieved by the PDA thin film, the Ag/AgCl particles can efficiently activate the localized generation of H2O2 and •OH in situ, thus degrading the VOCs during the rapid vapor generation. The generation of H2O2 and •OH in situ also facilitates the creation of a buffer zone containing H2O2 and •OH for the rapid removal of organic pollutants in the surrounding water attracted to the solar vapor generator, demonstrating a self-cleaning steam generator toward various volatile compounds such as phenol, aniline, 2,4-dichlorophenol, and N,N-dimethylformamide in a wide range of concentrations.

MXene Quantum Dot/Zeolitic Imidazolate Framework Nanocarriers for Dual Stimulus Triggered Tumor Chemo-Phototherapy.

It is critical to construct stimuli-responsive multifunctional nanoparticles for the drug delivery system for cancer treatment. Zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) has a large specific surface area and decomposes quickly under acidic conditions, which presents an excellent potential in pH-sensitive drug carriers. However, the mere chemotherapeutic drug loaded into ZIF-8 is a monotherapy and may restrict the therapeutic efficacy of malignancies. In this work, an effective nanoparticle-based delivery platform is established to simultaneously encapsulate doxorubicin (DOX) and MXene quantum dot (MQD) in ZIF-8 nanoparticles (MQD@ZIF-8/DOX). Under near-infrared (NIR) laser (808 nm) and UV light (365 nm) irradiation, MQD@ZIF-8 demonstrates a high photothermal conversion efficiency and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, which shows excellent photothermal therapy and photodynamic therapy effects. Furthermore, the release of DOX-loaded into MQD@ZIF-8 nanoparticles is significantly increased under NIR laser irradiation and at pH 5.6, indicating that acidic conditions and NIR laser irradiation can be effectively combined to stimulate the drug release. The cellular experiments show that MQD@ZIF-8/DOX has an obvious killing effect on HeLa cells and achieves the combined anti-tumor effect of chemotherapy and phototherapy.

Self-Assembled Supercrystals Enhance the Photothermal Conversion for Solar Evaporation and Water Purification.

Photothermal materials can convert renewable solar energy into thermal energy and have great potential for solar water evaporation. Copper sulfide (Cu2- x S) is an easily available and inexpensive plasmonic material with a high photothermal conversion efficiency and can be applied to solar evaporation and water purification. Monodispersed Cu7 S4 nanoparticles (NPs) and supercrystalline self-assembled superparticles are obtained via wet chemical synthesis and micelle self-assembly. The photothermal properties of the superstructures are investigated using the finite difference time domain method and laser radiation photothermography. The results show that the electromagnetic field intensity and photothermal efficiency of the self-assembly are significantly higher than those of isolated NPs, which is due to the plasmonic coupling of the NPs. The evaporation efficiency of the superstructure is significantly higher than that of isolated NPs, the metal salt ion and total organic carbon concentrations in the waterbody significantly decrease after evaporation, and the water polluted by high salt and organic dye concentrations is purified. The water quality significantly improves after the lake water from Fuxian Lake in the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau of China is used for solar evaporation. The color changes from pale yellow to colorless and the ion and total organic carbon contents significantly decrease.

Highly efficient water steam generation via natural black urushiol-Fe polymeric microspheres coated-cotton fabric

Solar steam generated by interfacial evaporation model was a sustainable method to desalinate seawater and purify sewage water. Exploitation and utilization of natural resources to synthesize photothermal materials with broad absorption spectrum have great significance. In this paper, a bio-based photothermal modified fabric was fabricated by self-assembly of urushiol-ferrous chelated polymeric spheres on cotton fabric. The photothermal steam generator was fabricated using the hydrophobic photothermal fabric as the photothermal layer and a hollow cylindrical PE sponge as the insulation layer, which also provided an interfacially isolated space for escape of steam. Under 1.0 sun illumination, this solar-driven steam generator showed an outstanding evaporation rate (1.49 kg m−2 h−1), with a high photothermal conversion efficiency (91.72 %), which was 3.04 times that of pure water. The purification of seawater and treatment of heavy ions in sewage and organic dye-containing wastewaters could be achieved successfully using the solar photothermal conversion system. In addition, the photothermal fabric showed day and night response behavior, converting salt crystals, and solving the problem of salt crystallization that leads to blocking of steam channels. Thus, the photothermal steam generator with perfect performance had great application prospects in seawater desalination and sewage treatment under extreme conditions.