Evolution of Morphology and Distribution of Salt Crystals on a Photothermal Layer during Solar Interfacial Evaporation

Solar interfacial evaporation (SIE) by leveraging photothermal conversion could be a clean and sustainable solution to the scarcity of fresh water, decontamination of wastewater, and steam sterilization. However, the process of salt crystallization on photothermal materials used in SIE, especially from saltwater evaporation, has not been completely understood. We report the temporal and spatial evolution of salt crystals on the photothermal layer during SIE. By using a typical oil lamp evaporator, we found that salt crystallization always initiates from the edge of the evaporation surface of the photothermal layer due to the local fast flux of the vapor to the surroundings. Interestingly, the salt crystals exhibit either compact or loose morphology, depending on the location and evaporation duration. By employing a suite of complementary analytical techniques of Raman and infrared spectroscopy and temperature mapping, we followed the evolution and spatial distribution of salt crystals, interfacial water, and surface temperature during evaporation. Our results suggested that the compact crystal structure may emerge from the recrystallization of salt in an initially porous structure, driven by continuous water evaporation from the porous and loose crystals. The holistic view provided in this study may lay the foundation for effective strategies for mitigation of the negative impact of salt crystallization in solar evaporation.