Interlocking Stabilized 3D Photothermal Nano‐Architectures Enables Distributed Solar Desalination

Abstract

ABSTRACT Tackling global water scarcity requires sustainable technologies that operate at the water‐energy‐food nexus. Solar‐driven evaporation is a promising approach, but its practical deployment is often hampered by the difficulty in synergistically integrating performance, robustness, and economic viability. Here, by using the intrinsic property of hollow multishelled structure (HoMS), we established a scalable strategy by interlocking the polymer molecular chain into the porous shell of HoMS, investigating an economical and faci le approach to construct three‐dimensional (3D) photothermal architectures. To achieve an abundant loading amount, we selected the solvents based on Hansen solubility parameters, achieving precise polymer threading through HoMS, leading to uniform nanomaterial loading and creating the hierarchical “nanoforest” morphology. This structure exhibits 90.2% broadband solar absorption and reduces the energy consumption of evaporation by 45.7%, achieving a record‐high evaporation rate of 38.14 ± 0.57 kg m −2 h −1 with year‐long stability. We integrated this material into a 0.75 m 2 active‐condensation solar desalination device, which produces 20.16 L of freshwater per day under natural sunlight, meeting WHO drinking standards. The produced water successfully supported the full‐growth cycles of various crops in a 5 m 2 demonstration plot with lower cost. Our work provides a feasible and sustainable route for solar‐driven water solutions.