Faced with the world's impending freshwater scarcity, a team of researchers in Singapore turned to solar steam generators (SSGs), which are emerging as a promising device for seawater desalination. Desalination can be a costly, energy-intensive solution to water scarcity.
This renewable-powered approach mimics the natural water cycle by using the sun's energy to evaporate and isolate water. However, the technology is limited by the need to fabricate complex topologies to increase the surface area necessary to achieve high water evaporation efficiency.
To overcome this barrier, the team sought design inspiration from trees and harnessed the potential of 3D printing. In Applied Physics Reviews, the team presents a state-of-the-art technology for producing efficient SSGs for desalination and introduces a novel method for printing functional nanocomposites for multi-jet fusion (MJF).
"We created SSGs with exceptional photothermal performance and self-cleaning properties," said Kun Zhou, a professor of mechanical engineering at Nanyang Technological University.
"Using a treelike porous structure significantly enhances water evaporation rates and ensures continuous operation by preventing salt accumulation—its performance remains relatively stable even after prolonged testing."
