A review on photothermal material and its usage in the development of photothermal membrane for sustainable clean water production

Tapping into solar energy seems to be a viable and sustainable solution for the ongoing global challenges of water scarcity and clean energy shortage. However, the natural mechanism of solar energy-driven water evaporation is often compromised by low evaporation rate and water and solar absorption spectrum mismatch. Therefore, localized heating on the water vapor-liquid interface by light-absorbing materials, known as photothermal materials, has been proposed. This allows the harvesting of energy from the full solar spectrum and high efficiency of light-to-heat conversion. With the emerging advances of photothermal nanomaterials and the urgent demand for a green transition of water treatment technology, the establishment of a photothermal-driven membrane distillation system has been reinvigorated, as seen by the number of publications recently. The efficiency of light absorption and light-to-heat conversion of photothermal materials are critical factors in determining the membrane performa including innovative modifications th new directions of using these photot the prospects of photothermal memb

Automated summary

Utilizing photothermal materials for solar-driven water evaporation can be a sustainable solution for global water scarcity and clean energy shortage. The efficiency of light absorption and conversion to heat by these materials is crucial, and with advancements in photothermal nanomaterials, the development of photothermal-driven membrane distillation systems is gaining attention and momentum in the quest for greener water treatment technologies.