Low-Cost,\nEco-Friendly, and High-Performance 3D Laser-Induced\nGraphene Evaporator for Continuous Solar-Powered Water Desalination

Water scarcity has become a global\nchallenge attributed to climate\nchange, deforestation, population growth, and increasing water demand.\nWhile advanced water production plants are prevalent in urban areas,\nremote islands and sparsely populated regions face significant obstacles\nin establishing such technologies. Consequently, there is an urgent\nneed for efficient, affordable, and sustainable water production technologies\nin these areas. Herein, we present a facile approach utilizing an\nultrashort-pulsed laser to directly convert cotton fabric into graphene\nunder ambient conditions. The resulting laser-induced graphene (LIG)\ndemonstrates the highest light absorption efficiency of 99.0% and\na broad absorption range (250–2500 nm). As an excellent solar\nabsorber, LIG on cotton fabric can efficiently absorb 98.6% of the\ntotal solar irradiance and its surface temperature can reach 84.5\n°C under sunlight without optical concentration. Moreover, we\npropose a cost-effective 3D LIG evaporator (LIGE) for continuous solar-powered\ndesalination. This innovative design effectively mitigates salt formation\nissues and enhances the steam generation efficiency. The water evaporation\nrate and the solar-to-vapor conversion efficiency are measured to\nbe around 1.709 kg m<sup>–2</sup> h<sup>–1</sup> and\n95.1%, respectively, which surpass those reported in previous studies.\nThe simplicity, durability, and continuous operational capability\nof the 3D LIGE offer promising prospects to address the growing challenges\nin global water scarcity.