Photo-driven multifunctional membrane evaporator based on Sb2Se3/MoSe2/Ag@PAM for freshwater harvesting and electricity generation

The coproduction of freshwater and electricity through solar-driven interfacial evaporation presents a promising strategy to address the current water and energy shortages. However, achieving high evaporation rate, efficient pollutant degradation, and high electrical power output in an integrated system remains challenging. Herein, we report a multifunctional membrane evaporator based on Sb 2 Se 3 /MoSe 2 /Ag heterostructures embedded in a polyacrylamide (PAM) hydrogel (Sb 2 Se 3 /MoSe 2 /Ag@PAM) for simultaneous wastewater evaporation, decontamination and thermoelectric power generation. The porous PAM matrix provided hydrophilicity and low evaporation enthalpy, while the heterostructures synergistically enhanced light absorption, photocatalytic activity, and thermal localization. As a result, under 1.0 sun illumination, the integrated membrane evaporator achieved a steady evaporation rate of 3.39 kg m −2  h −1 and a high degradation efficiency of 92% for tetracycline (TC) within 120 min, and when coupled with a thermoelectric module produced electricity with a maximum output power of 0.37 W·m −2 . Our work offers a new hybrid material platform comprising narrow bandgap semiconductor heterostructures, plasmonic noble metals and hydrogel membranes for high-performance multifunctional evaporators.