Photoelectric synergy solid slippery surface for all-day contactless evaporation

A solar-based contactless evaporator is an emerging desalination technology that can permanently solve the problem of evaporation rate attenuation caused by the plugging of pollutants in the traditional contact evaporator. However, its evaporation rate is low and is susceptible to weather conditions. Herein, the photoelectric synergistic solid slippery surface, as a contactless evaporator, can achieve a water evaporation rate of up to 1.00 kg m^-2 h⁻¹ and operate normally in various weather conditions, including sandstorms, night, winter, rainy, and high relative humidity. Due to its exceptional photoelectric synergistic effect, the water evaporation rate of this contactless evaporator at 70 % high humidity is 0.84 kg m^-2 h⁻¹, significantly higher than the 0.32 kg m^-2 h⁻¹ of solar-based contactless evaporators. This results in a 3.1-fold reduction in the time required to treat the same volume of water within a day. Furthermore, the contactless evaporator with stable solid lubrication characteristics possesses self-cleaning and self-healing functions, which helps to maintain an efficient evaporation rate in long-term use. This work has provided a new path for high-speed water treatment, wastewater zero discharge, and product recovery.