Updated perspective on solar steam generation application

Abstract

A low cost, highly flexible and environmentally friendly water generation method known as interfacial solar steam generation (SSG) has recently been popularized by many researchers due to the continuously increasing water demand and widening wealth gap around the world. In this perspective, factors determining SSG performance are gathered and highlighted in two different categories, heat and water management. This perspective also identifies challenges that hinder the practical applications of SSG, such as the lack of a standardized energy conversion efficiency calculation, understanding the water evaporation mechanism, understanding the heat flow from the ambient environment to the three-dimensional SSG, focusing solely on the evaporation rate (R_v) while ignoring vapor collection efficiency, and the relatively single function that is unable to cope with complex external environments (i.e., anti-fouling). This perspective also discusses current trends in multifunctional applications of SSGs, such as antimicrobial and energy generation properties, and provides insights into future research prospects for SSGs.