Toward Highly Efficient Solar Interfacial Evaporation: Design of Janus Fiber Films Based on Self-Pumping and Antimicrobial Properties

The application of solar interfacial evaporation technology in clean water production has garnered increasing attention in recent years, with thin-film evaporation being considered one of the most efficacious strategies to address the growing demand for high evaporation rates at moderate temperatures. This investigation presents the design of a Janus nanofiber film based on a self-pumping effect, comprising a hydrophobic layer (TPU) and a hydrophilic layer (PVA-(ε-PL)@MXene). This structure creates a self-pumping effect that promotes unidirectional transfer of liquids, effectively increasing water transfer efficiency and evaporation, achieving a maximum evaporation rate of 1.56 kg m–2 h–1 while maintaining 1.52 kg m–2 h–1 after multiple cycles. This Janus nanofiber film exhibits high performance in the 200–2500 nm range, demonstrating strong light absorption with an absorption efficiency of 87.69%, and rapidly increasing from room temperature to 57.8 °C in 3 min under 1 kW m–2. Furthermore, TPU/PVA-(ε-PL)@MXene exhibited substantial antimicrobial activity against E. coli (89.77%) and S. aureus (53.96%), attributed to the inhibitory effect of ε-PL on the biosynthesis of proteins and enzymatic biomolecules.