Natural Porous Materials for Interfacial Solar Steam Generation toward Clean Water Production

The progression of photothermal materials with broad solar absorption and improved photothermal conversion efficiency is critical for developing interfacial solar steam generation (ISSG)‐based water desalination and purification systems. This green solar‐driven water vaporization technology has regained popularity as a sustainable solution to water shortage. Among many other photothermal materials, natural porous material‐based photothermal evaporators have piqued the interest of researchers owing to their biodegradability, abundance, low thermal conductivity, low cost, natural capillary mechanism, and hydrophilicity. In this review, recent advances in photothermal material design based on various natural porous materials are reported, systems considering contact mode and the water transportation route are categorized, optical absorbance is assessed, and thermal management issues and water purification as well as desalination applications are discussed. This review stimulates further investigation and research interest in the utilization of natural porous materials for large‐scale ISSG‐based application implementation.