Refractory plasmonic material based floating solar still for simultaneous desalination and electricity generation

Floating interfacial solar evaporation offers a land-saving, eco-friendly, and low-infrastructure alternative for freshwater production. However, challenges include maximizing heat localization, preventing salt accumulation, and operating under harsh environmental conditions. This work demonstrates a plasmonic titanium carbide (TiC) nanoparticle (NP)-based floating solar desalination system that produces clean water using sunlight on saline water sources. The components of the floating still were carefully chosen to optimize freshwater output, with TiC produced by upcycling tire waste. Outdoor experiments in Halifax, Canada, where solar insolation reached around 6 kW m^-2 day^-1, resulted in daily water yields of up to 3.67 L m^-2, corresponding to a solar-to-vapor conversion efficiency of 40%. Water can be produced at a cost of $0.0086 L^-1, and the still can be modified to generate thermoelectricity, enabling small onboard devices to test water quality without external electricity. This study contributes to the development of scalable floating solar desalination systems, providing potable water for water-stressed communities.