ABSTRACT Freshwater scarcity and industrial wastewater pollution present dual challenges that severely hinder sustainable development. Solar‐driven interfacial evaporation (SDIE) strategy, combined with heavy metal ion removal, offers a cost‐effective solution for wastewater purification by harnessing solar energy. Herein, inspired by the integration of photothermal conversion and adsorption capabilities, a multifunctional aerogel (r‐WCTOA) evaporator was engineered by introducing oxygen vacancies in WO 3 (r‐WO 3− x ) to enhance its photothermal conversion efficiency, followed by compositing with wastepaper‐derived cellulose. The enhanced localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) of r‐WO 3− x particles, coupled with the porous structure of a cellulose fiber substrate exhibiting excellent mechanical integrity, enables efficient light absorption up to 92.89%. The r‐WCTOA evaporator achieves an average water evaporation rate of 1.812 kg m −2 h −1 with a desalination efficiency of 99.8% under one sun irradiation. Additionally, r‐WCTOA evaporator demonstrates superior heavy metal removal capacity with a maximum Pb 2+ adsorption performance of 171.86 mg g −1 , producing purified water that meets WHO drinking water standards. Notably, the freshwater recovered from evaporated leachate could be directly reused for subsequent irrigation, ensuring a sustainable and resource‐efficient remediation cycle. This multifunctional r‐WCTOA evaporator with porous structures synergistically achieves efficient wastewater purification and heavy metal removal during solar‐driven evaporation, providing a scalable, cost‐effective and eco‐friendly solution for solar water treatment systems.
Cai et al. (Mon,) studied this question.