Polymeric materials for solar water purification

Solar-based desalination or water purification is regarded as one of the promising solutions to global water scarcity as the only energy input is abundant and sustainable solar light. Interfacial solar vapor generation (SVG), which converts natural sunlight into clean water vapor, has attracted extensive research interests due to its high-energy utilization efficiency and simple implementation. With tunable molecular structures and tailorable physical properties, polymers have demonstrated great potential as candidate materials for solar evaporators. In this review, we summarize the recent progress on polymer materials for solar-powered water purification. First, we present functional polymers with highly tunable molecular composition and morphology as high-efficiency solar absorbers. Next, the recent development of various polymeric materials and structural engineering strategies for adequate water supply and efficient thermal management are discussed, along with their excellent desalination and purification performance. Last, we outline the challenges and future directions on the further development of polymer materials for solar water purification technologies.