Wood-based solar-driven interfacial evaporators: Design and application

Solar water evaporation plays an important role in the production of low-energy freshwater, which is essential for economic development and human health. The use of solar powered green water evaporation technology has attracted more and more attention as a sustainable solution to water shortage and environmental governance. Among photothermal materials, wood-based photothermal evaporators have attracted researchers' interest because of their abundance, low cost, biodegradability, low thermal conductivity, hydrophilicity and natural capillary mechanism. In this review, we first summarized the advantages of wood-based solar evaporators, including pore structure and chemical structure. Secondly, the latest progress of wood-based solar evaporators is summarized from the aspects of photothermal material decorative wood, carbonized wood, structural design, etc., and the recent progress in the application of wood evaporators in seawater desalination, wastewater purification and energy production were discussed. Finally, the scientific and technical challenges facing the application of wood-based solar evaporators, and future research directions in this field are outlined.