Nature-inspired design for high-efficiency solar-driven water evaporation

The production of freshwater represents a prominent global challenge nowadays. One eco-friendly technology to provide clean water even in an adverse environment, with extreme temperatures and scarce groundwater resources is solar-driven water evaporation or solar-to-steam generation. Besides, freshwater can be also extracted from polluted soil or water, purifying the water in the process at the same time. The champion solar-driven water evaporation efficiency is achieved at over 100%. The advancements in photothermal evaporation predominantly prioritize material modification and interfacial heating, with a significant emphasis on optimizing vapor generation efficiency, often neglecting the practical aspect of water collection. By using the right materials, the system can be cost-effective and have a low environmental impact. In this progress report, the latest advancements in natural materials, carbonization of natural materials, hybrid natural materials, and nature-inspired materials are presented. We will delve into their effectiveness in evaporation and their energy efficiency. The review provides suggestions about the compatibility of natural materials for this application and reports on insights into the advancements already accomplished, as well as the remaining opportunities for enhancing the performance of these cost-effective, environmentally friendly, high-performance systems.