Self-Regulating Solar Steam Generators Enable Volatile Organic Compound Removal through In Situ H₂O₂ Generation

Interfacial solar steam generation for clean water production suffers from volatile organic compound (VOC) contamination during solar-to-steam conversion. Here, we present a solar steam generator based on the integration of melamine foam (MF), polydopamine (PDA), and Ag/AgCl particles. Together with the high photothermal conversion efficiency (ca. 87.8%, 1 kW/m²) achieved by the PDA thin film, the Ag/AgCl particles can efficiently activate the localized generation of H₂O₂ and •OH in situ, thus degrading the VOCs during the rapid vapor generation. The generation of H₂O₂ and •OH in situ also facilitates the creation of a buffer zone containing H₂O₂ and •OH for the rapid removal of organic pollutants in the surrounding water attracted to the solar vapor generator, demonstrating a self-cleaning steam generator toward various volatile compounds such as phenol, aniline, 2,4-dichlorophenol, and N,N-dimethylformamide in a wide range of concentrations.