Leveraging Cross‐Cutting Technologies to Unravel Light‐Heat‐Water Interactions at Solar Evaporation Interfaces: Propelling the Low‐Carbon Water‐Energy Nexus

Abstract

Abstract Multifunctional solar‐driven interfacial evaporation (SDIE) systems have emerged as a critical technology for clean water production. Advances in evaporator design and component optimization have significantly enhanced their performance, enabling highly efficient operation in small‐scale applications such as seawater desalination and steam sterilization, even under extreme environmental conditions. Nevertheless, critical mechanisms remain insufficiently resolved: light‐to‐heat conversion dynamics and interfacial interactions during evaporation, synergistic thermal confinement and management strategies, and water transport/activation mechanisms at solid‐liquid‐gas interfaces mediated by suspended materials. This review systematically examines unsystematized photothermal‐water conversion processes and cross‐disciplinary application scenarios through analysis of archetypal evaporator configurations. By adopting an integrated multi‐scale analysis framework and leveraging advanced computational modeling techniques, the metrological significance of performance metrics, inherent measurement uncertainties, and fundamental value‐translation mechanisms in specialized implementations is elucidated. Concurrently, intrinsic limitations hindering large‐scale deployment are identified, providing critical insights into scalability challenges across diverse operational contexts. This approach establishes a comprehensive theoretical foundation for optimizing next‐generation SDIE systems while providing data references for cross‐disciplinary advancement in the sustainable application of thermophotovoltaic evaporation.