An anti-salt bridge-arch evaporator with vertical channel inspired by water spinach for high-flux steam generation through water flow regulation

Solar driven interfacial evaporation (SIE) has emerged as a promising alternative for supplying clean and potable water , but an efficient salt resistance strategy is still required for long-term steam generation. Herein, inspired by the hollow structure of the water spinach, a 3D arch bridge evaporator (CNTHF-PSC) with a hollow lumen is fabricated to efficiently inhibit salt accumulation by regulating water flow rate. Benefiting from the double-sided evaporation and adjustable water flow, the CNTHF-PSC exhibited a satisfactory evaporation rate of 3.90 kg m −2 h −1 under simulated solar illumination (1.0 kW m −2 ). More importantly, the CNTHF-PSC can operate continuously for 10 days in brine with the concentration of 3.5 wt% while maintaining an evaporation rate of 3.5 kg m −2 h −1 under simulated solar illumination. Meanwhile, a Joule heating ensure the CNTHF-PSC with an evaporation rate of 9.15 kg m −2 h −1 at a current of 0.5 A, illustrating its potential for all-day desalination . Additionally, the prepared evaporator also has an excellent purification capability to heavy metal wastewater and dye wastewater. As a result, this work opens a new avenue to develop salt-resistant evaporator for seawater desalination . • A 3D evaporator with arch-shaped design is fabricated. • High evaporation rate and excellent salt resistance are achieved simultaneously. • All-day operation can be achieved by solar heating and Joule heating .