Scalable Biodegradable Janus Solar Evaporator Derived from Wastepaper and Tea Residue for Sustainable Seawater...

Solar-driven interfacial evaporation (SDIE) offers a promising route for clean water production with reduced dependency on traditional energy sources, yet the development of sustainable and scalable solar evaporators remains a key challenge. Herein, a biodegradable and scalable Janus solar evaporator fabricated from recycled wastepaper and tea residue is proposed, promoting eco-friendly clean water production while valorizing waste materials. The incorporation of 2D Ti₃C₂ (MXene) and 1D multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) forms a 3D macroscopic photothermal architecture, with enhanced light trapping and synergistic heat localization, significantly boosting evaporation performance. The evaporator achieves a high evaporation rate of 1.52 kg m^-2 h^-1 with a solar-to-vapor conversion efficiency of 90.79% under one sun illumination. It exhibits durable salt-rejection capability via an inherent salt-blocking mechanism, ensuring long-term desalination stability. Furthermore, it effectively purifies simulated industrial wastewater without compromising its evaporation performance. An outdoor prototype system demonstrates freshwater production of ≈6.8 L m^-2 day^-1 under average solar irradiance of 0.54 kW m^-2, underscoring its potential for scalable and sustainable solar water treatment.