Multifunctional MoS₂ membrane for integrated solar-driven water evaporation and water purification

Solar-driven interfacial water evaporation shows great potential to address the global water crisis, but its efficient implementation in the presence of organic wastewater remains challenging. Here, we achieved integrated water evaporation and organic compound degradation by designing a multifunctional MoS₂ membrane. Under 1.0 sun irradiation, the membrane exhibits an evaporation rate of 2.07 kg m⁻² h⁻¹ and 82% degradation efficiency of organic pollutants, with negligible organic pollutant residues in the condensate. The high performance is attributed to the thermal energy generated by the evaporation process of MoS₂ membrane. This promotes an increase in the rate constant of interfacial electron transfer during the photocatalytic reaction, accelerating the generation of free radicals and facilitating the removal of organic pollutants. The study demonstrated that fresh water can be collected from high-salinity wastewater at a rate of 1.56 kg m⁻² h⁻¹. The MoS₂ membrane provides a sustainable approach to addressing the water crisis. © The Author(s) 2024.