Magnetically recyclable three-dimensional aerogel water evaporator for organic pollutant removal via solar-powered interfacial water evaporation cooperated with photocatalysis

The primary obstacle to solar-driven interfacial water evaporation (SDIWE) technology for addressing organic wastewater pollution lies in the inability of most evaporators to effectively eliminate organic pollutants , despite ensuring that the condensed water is organic-free. To overcome this limitation, we developed a three-dimensional aerogel water evaporator based on carbonized ZIF-67 and optimized its water evaporation performance by carbonization temperature and the content of each component in the evaporator. The evaporator has a remarkable ability to absorb over 90 % of solar light in the 200–2500 nm range, achieving an evaporation rate of up to 3.93 kg m −2  h −1 under one sun irradiation. In addition, the superior magnetic properties of the carbonized ZIF-67 make the evaporator magnetically recyclable. Notably, this evaporator not only photocatalytically decomposes methylene blue in simulated wastewater, but also efficiently degrades phenol through peroxymonosulfate activation. It also has excellent surface salt rejection and antibacterial properties, enabling it to purify seawater to meet drinking water standards set by the World Health Organization. This study offers a paradigm for the integration of SDIWE technology with photocatalytic organic pollutant treatment in simulated wastewater.