Tree‐Inspired Design for High‐Efficiency Water Extraction

TLDR

Solar steam technology is promising for water scarcity but has yet to be applied to groundwater and seawater due to challenges such as salt buildup and evaporation stability. This study presents a high‑performance solar steam device entirely fabricated from natural wood. The device uses a bilayer wood structure—transversely cut wood with a carbonized top surface—to enable rapid water transport, high light absorption (~99 %), low thermal loss, and cost‑effective operation. It demonstrates long‑term seawater stability without salt buildup and efficient underground water extraction, offering an inexpensive, scalable solution for clean water in remote areas.

Abstract

The solar steam process, akin to the natural water cycle, is considered to be an attractive approach to address water scarcity issues globally. However, water extraction from groundwater, for example, has not been demonstrated using these existing technologies. Additionally, there are major unaddressed challenges in extracting potable water from seawater including salt accumulation and long-term evaporation stability, which warrant further investigation. Herein, a high-performance solar steam device composed entirely of natural wood is reported. The pristine, natural wood is cut along the transverse direction and the top surface is carbonized to create a unique bilayer structure. This tree-inspired design offers distinct advantages for water extraction, including rapid water transport and evaporation in the mesoporous wood, high light absorption (≈99%) within the surface carbonized open wood channels, a low thermal conductivity to avoid thermal loss, and cost effectiveness. The device also exhibits long-term stability in seawater without salt accumulation as well as high performance for underground water extraction. The tree-inspired design offers an inexpensive and scalable solar energy harvesting and steam generation technology that can provide clean water globally, especially for rural or remote areas where water is not only scarce but also limited by water extraction materials and methods.