Efficient Solar Evaporation by [Ni(Phen)₃ ][V₁₄ O₃₄ Cl]Cl Hybrid Semiconductor Confined in Mesoporous Glass

Efficient utilization of solar energy for water evaporation is an advanced and environmentally friendly technology to address the crisis of global drinking water shortages. This study concerns an efficient solar vapor generator comprised of a light-absorbing and photothermal hybrid compound [Ni(Phen)₃ ][V₁₄ O₃₄ Cl]Cl (NiV₁₄ ) confined in mesoporous and hydrophilic glass (meso-glass). The generator is floated in water by supporting it on a domestic melamine-formaldehyde (MF) foam to ensure evaporation at the water-air interface. The porous structures and poor thermal conductivities of the meso-glass and MF foam contribute to enabling a consistent water supply, strong solar thermal localization, and less heat dissipation and convection. Associated with the strong photothermal role of NiV₁₄ , these synergistic effects lead to a water evaporation rate of 14.38 kg m^-2  h^-1 with total water evaporation efficiency of 111.4% under 6 suns and a daily solar water purification yield of 42.00 L m^-2 under 1 sun irradiation. This solar evaporation system shows great promise for high-efficiency water purification application.