ABSTRACT The global crises of water and energy scarcity call for integrated technologies that transcend single‐function operation. Here, we present a solar‐powered integrated thermoelectric generator (SPI‐TEG) that relies solely on sunlight to synergistically co‐produce electricity, freshwater, concentrated brine, and solid salt within a single device. The SPI‐TEG employs a wavelength‐selective absorber at the hot side of a thermoelectric module to maximize solar‐to‐heat conversion, while a superhydrophilic cleanroom wiper placed at the cold side enables continuous seawater transport and efficient evaporative cooling. This configuration establishes a significant temperature difference for power generation and simultaneously reutilizes the dissipated heat for desalination. Under 1.0 sun illumination, the device achieves a notable open‐circuit voltage of 258.8 mV, a power density of 0.504 W m −2 , and an evaporation rate of 1.79 kg m −2 h −1 , with a freshwater collection rate of 0.632 kg m −2 h −1 . Notably, through circulating evaporation, the device enables tunable brine concentration and achieves zero liquid discharge with a salt recovery rate of up to 83%. This work offers a practical zero‐carbon route for synergistic water‐electricity cogeneration and sustainable ocean resource recovery.
Wang et al. (Sun,) studied this question.