Fabric Solar Evaporator Inspired by Jellyfish for Efficient and Continuous Water Desalination

The conversion of solar energy into heat for seawater desalination is emerging as a promising method. However, it requires further research on light absorption, thermal management, and salt deposition to improve water evaporation rates. This study introduces a 3D solar evaporator inspired by jellyfish utilizing honeycomb fabric (HF), which capitalizes on a synergistic effect between the periodically arranged concave unit structure and the Chinese ink and carbon black particles (ink@CB), achieving up to 98% light absorption with ink@CB-HF. Additionally, the insulating foam effectively separates the evaporating layer from the bulk water, thereby significantly reduces heat loss. Furthermore, the water transport channel and evaporation layer prepared by the hydrophilic flax yarns facilitate ion exchange and water transport, preventing salt accumulation in the photothermal layer during the evaporation. The results demonstrate that the evaporator exhibits an excellent evaporation rate of 1.854 kg m h and a high conversion efficiency of up to 92.2% under 1 sun illumination. It maintains efficient evaporation even under low sunlight or high ion concentration conditions. Notably, the ink@CB-HF-foam sustains its stability throughout 15 evaporation cycles. This work provides a new approach to design cost-effective, highly efficient, and durable solar evaporators for seawater desalination.