Synergistic integration of modified Cu foam and PAN fiber with wave-adaptive properties for interfacial solar evaporation

As global water scarcity intensifies, interfacial evaporation emerges as a promising technology to address this challenge. However, the practical implementation of these systems is hindered by numerous factors, including water surface fluctuations and changing climatic conditions. The present paper proposes a self-floating composite membrane (PPHC) based on modified Cu foam and polyacrylonitrile (PAN) fibres for the purpose of enhancing solar interfacial evaporation. It has been demonstrated that PPHC exhibits excellent bending resistance, thereby ensuring structural integrity during real-world water surface fluctuations. The integration of a hydrophobic foam metal design with a polymer fibre network’s capillary action enables the device to achieve high thermal localization and expeditious water transportation. In the context of solar irradiation, the PPHC exhibits an evaporation rate of 1.38 kg m −2  h −1 , thereby demonstrating consistent performance even within a high-salinity environment, characterized by a salt content of 25 wt%. Outdoor testing further validates its adaptability under varying weather conditions, with a peak evaporation rate of 2.96 kg m −2  h −1 recorded. This work presents a novel approach for constructing robust, durable, and highly efficient integrated interfacial evaporators.