From brine to fresh: bio-inspired solar evaporator achieves zero liquid discharge
Peer-Reviewed Publication
Updates every hour. Last Updated: 19-Aug-2025 09:10 ET (19-Aug-2025 13:10 GMT/UTC)
The global freshwater crisis has become one of the most urgent environmental challenges. Solar interfacial evaporation technology demonstrates significant potential for seawater desalination. However, conventional evaporators struggle with a persistent trade-off between stable evaporation and salt accumulation, as crystallized salt obstructs water transport and reduces efficiency. Recently, a research team from Shandong First Medical University published a groundbreaking study in Science Bulletin, introducing a novel approach to desalinate high-salinity brine. Inspired by the natural salt secretion and brine transport mechanisms of mangroves, the team designed a bio-inspired solar evaporator featuring an external photothermal layer and internal water supply channels. This innovative design effectively overcomes the long-standing trade-off between stable evaporation and salt accumulation, achieving highly efficient and stable desalination alongside continuous salt collection under high-salinity brine conditions.
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