Achieving steam and electrical power from solar energy by MoS2-based composites

Photothermal conversion has hold great promise for facing water scarcity by solar evaporation technology. However, the photothermal performance of the evaporators is limited by weather rhythm due to strong dependence on solar energy. Herein, MoS2-based composites are well-suited for maximize resource utilization by achieving steam and electrical power from solar energy. Under one sun radiation, the output voltage can be up to ~ 300 mV synchronously with efficient solar evaporation. The power output is ~ 3.35 mW m−2 with current of 6.7 µA after half an hour of one sun illumination. The power output of ~ 0.9 mW m−2 can be readily derived with voltage of ~ 200 mV and current of 2.7 µA under ambient conditions. Furthermore, the voltage output reveals a linear increase behavior through the series connection of energy generators. MoS2-based composites show the potential of simultaneous steam and energy generation under sunlight, and it realizes the value as energy generators on cloudy days or at night. The work demonstrates that MoS2-based composites are capable of full-time function only relying on solar energy and water.