Fundamental Understanding of Solar Driven Interfacial Evaporation using 3D hierarchical hybrid structures

Facing water scarcity that affects two-thirds of the global population, our planet's demand for sustainable solutions has never been more critical. Solar-driven interfacial evaporation (SDIE) is a promising method to produce fresh water using solar energy. Despite many advancements in material development, the fundamentals of interfacial transport have been left untouched. With localized heating proximate to the interface, SDIE departs from conventional evaporation mechanisms by creating pronounced temperature and pressure gradients proximate to the interface, substantially affecting liquid-vapor interactions. This distinction prompts reevaluating traditional models and concepts, highlighting the pressing need for an updated framework. With its primary objective as crafting a transport scheme for accurate interfacial flux predictions, I will examine SDIE using concurrent advanced microscopic thermography, fluorescent, and optical imaging techniques along with computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and theoretical approaches to reveal uncharted dimensions of desalination. SolWator proposes innovative 3D patterned hybrid structures that provide optimum hydrothermal conditions for maximum evaporation from liquid meniscus. This will be accompanied by the formulation of updated CFD and theoretical models to understand the effects of localized intense heating on the coupling of interfacial heat/momentum transport and vapor diffusion in SDIE. With SolWator identifying bottlenecks, it provides optimization guidelines and sustainability studies. The outputs address one of the most pressing challenges of our time, making SDIE highly feasible for clean water shortage challenges and enhancing the socio-economic facets of our global community. The predictive tools and the knowledge gained will also have far-reaching benefits for other phase change and localized heating areas, including microreactors, oil recovery, and propulsion technologies.