Scalable flexible evaporator with enhanced thermal localization for solar driven water-power cogeneration

Interfacial Solar Vapor Generation (ISVG) has emerged as a promising desalination and water purification technology, offers a sustainable solution to global freshwater scarcity. However, high manufacturing costs, limited evaporation rates, structural complexity, and poor scalability collectively hinder industrial-scale implementation. This study utilized the synergistic spectral complementarity of high-purity 1T-phase molybdenum disulfide (MoS 2 ) and polypyrrole (PPy) to enhance the solar absorption capacity of the evaporator. Concurrently, a multi-scale array evaporator (MF/MoS₂/PPy-4) was developed through a structural optimization strategy that combines numerical control cutting and simulation. This structural optimization enhances thermal localization and promotes humid air convection, enabling it to attain a high evaporation rate of 3.15 kg m −2 h −1 under 1 sun illumination, significantly improving evaporation performance, while remaining applicable to purification of diverse aqueous environments. Furthermore, a stable output power density of 1.15 W m −2 under 1 solar irradiation was achieved by integrating MF/MoS 2 /PPy-4 with the thermoelectric module. Eventually, Wheat breeding experiments with desalinated seawater further confirmed the potential of the system for irrigated agriculture and sustainable use of water resources. This study presents an efficient and scalable ISVG technique that proposes a viable method for sustainable freshwater, energy and grain generation. Flexible array evaporator integrated with thermoelectric modules enables efficient solar desalination and low-grade heat recovery for concurrent electricity generation, while purified water sustains wheat irrigation, offering a novel paradigm for sustainable water-energy-agriculture nexus. • Designed a scalable, flexible, and manufacturable flexible evaporator. • Structural optimisation for heat and mass transfer at the evaporation interface. • Achieves 3.15 kg m −2 h −1 evaporation rate and environmental adaptability. • Stable power density of 1.15 W m −2 achieved by integration with thermoelectric modules. • An idea for a sustainable freshwater-electricity-food supply