Materials and Systems for Solar-Driven Interfacial Evaporation: From Material Design to System Integration and Engineering Applications

Solar-driven interfacial evaporation (SIE) has emerged as a transformative, off-grid technology that confines heat at the air–liquid interface, enabling high-efficiency vapor generation for decentralized water purification. Here, we present a comprehensive and critical review of the field, tracing its evolution from fundamental photothermal principles to integrated multifunctional systems. We first elucidate the thermodynamics of interfacial heat localization and the resultant enhancement in evaporation efficiency. We then systematically analyze material innovation strategies—including broadband-absorbing photothermal agents and tailored evaporator architectures—designed to overcome persistent challenges such as salt crystallization, fouling, and thermal losses. Moving beyond freshwater production, we highlight emerging pathways for extending SIE platforms toward water–energy cogeneration, selective resource recovery, and zero-liquid-discharge wastewater treatment. We further identify and objectively assess the key bottlenecks that currently hinder the transition from laboratory-scale prototypes to real-world deployment, with a focus on long-term material robustness under harsh environments, adaptability to fluctuating water chemistries, and techno-economic viability. Finally, we outline forward-looking research directions, including stimulus-responsive smart evaporators, elucidation of multi-field coupling mechanisms, and the establishment of standardized performance evaluation protocols. This review aims to provide both a tutorial for newcomers and a critical assessment for experienced researchers, offering a balanced perspective on the current state-of-the-art and a roadmap for translating SIE from academic research into sustainable, impactful technologies.