Overview
- Researchers at the Institute of Process Engineering and Shenzhen University scaled a lab material into a 0.75 m² outdoor device that ran for a full year using only sunlight without drawing grid power.
- The new three‑dimensional photothermal composite binds PET polymer chains to hollow multi‑shelled nanospheres to form a stable 'nanoforest' that traps light and boosts evaporation.
- Laboratory results report about 90.2 percent solar absorption, a 45.7 percent reduction in the energy needed to evaporate water, and an evaporation rate of 38.14 kg·m⁻²·h⁻¹ compared with conventional 2D membranes.
- The scaled prototype produced more than 20 liters of desalinated water per day, said to meet World Health Organization standards, and supplied irrigation for a 5 m² experimental plot over a crop cycle.
- The team reports favorable 30‑day accelerated immersion tests and no observable nanoparticle shedding but stresses the system needs multi‑year field validation, larger manufacturing trials, and full lifecycle cost comparisons before commercial use.