Natural ore filter cube decorated polypyrrole for effective thermal management and enhanced solar steam generator

•Solar steam generation is enhanced using polypyrrole-coated natural ore filter cubes.•A highly porous structure provides the salt-resistance ability.•Photothermal evaporator endows 1.58 kg m-2h−1 evaporation rate under 1 sun. Pursuing environmentally friendly and effective energy conversion technologies inspired research investigations into innovative materials and methods to generate solar steam. Herein, we demonstrate a novel methodology that leverages natural ore filter cubes anchored with polypyrrole (PPy) to enhance solar steam generation and effective thermal management via an in-situ polymerization technique. The natural ore filter cubes (NOFC) serve as a porous framework, offering a large surface area for excellent light absorption and hydrophilic water channels. Meanwhile, the PPy coating improves light absorption and effectively converts solar energy into thermal energy. The fabricated evaporator exhibits exceptional solar absorption capability (93 %), with a broad spectral response ranging from ultraviolet to near-infrared wavelengths (200–2500 nm). Moreover, the presence of PPy promotes an efficient evaporation rate (1.58 kg m-2h−1), resulting in rapid heating and vaporization of water under 1 kW m−2. Natural ore filter cubes with PPy coating offer salt resistance, scalability, and environmental sustainability. Finally, this research presents an exciting way to improve solar steam-generating technology for water desalination and energy conversion applications.