A review of nanofiber membranes for solar interface evaporation

The shortage of freshwater resources is a global problem while traditional desalination methods are energy consuming and inefficient. Recently, solar interface evaporation (SIE) has attracted more and more researchers' attention, due to its high efficiency, low cost and environmental friendliness. This article summarizes the latest development on the SIE materials based on nanofiber membranes. The mechanism, difficulties and solutions in the aspects of material preparation, light absorption, thermal management, water transportation and multi-functionalization are discussed in categories. The review is mainly focused on the evaporation efficiency, salt resistance performance, corrosion resistance and long-term stability of the SIE materials. Finally, the challenges and outlook of the nanofiber based SIE materials are proposed.