Solar energy meets aerogel-based evaporation systems

Solar-driven interfacial evaporation technology has shown significant potential in addressing water scarcity and purification issues. Aerogel-based interfacial evaporators have attracted considerable research interest in recent years due to their remarkable water transport and evaporation capabilities, which stem from their intrinsic porous structure and designable architectures' complexity while modulating surface wettability. These advantages, coupled with high evaporation efficiency, extensive application potential, and relatively simple preparation processes, have positioned aerogel materials at the forefront of interfacial evaporation research. This article reviews the recent progress of aerogel-based evaporation systems, focusing on available solar materials, aerogels with different matrix materials, incorporation strategies of solar materials, structural design principles of aerogel-based evaporation systems, key performance-influencing factors, and practical applications of aerogel-based evaporation systems. The incorporation strategies of solar materials into aerogel evaporators, along with the key factors governing their evaporation performance, are categorized and systematically discussed. Finally, this review outlines the existing challenges and future development prospects to advance the development of aerogel-based evaporation systems.