All‐Ceramic Solar‐Driven Water Purifier Based on Anodized Aluminum Oxide and Plasmonic Titanium Nitride

An efficient method of water purification and desalination using anodized aluminum oxide (AAO) loaded with titanium nitride nanoparticles (TiN NPs) is demonstrated. While the ceramic TiN NPs convert the incident sunlight into thermal energy and generate a hot forefront region at the water–vapor interface, the AAO serves as an efficient transporter of water to this evaporating region through its nanochannels. It has been shown that photothermal performance of TiN–AAO can be optimized by adjusting the pore diameter and nominal TiN thickness. Additionally, thermal insulation by a simple technique is effective in improving the water evaporation speed. Overall, the steam generation efficiency reaches 92% under solar irradiation of 100 mW cm−2. Low cost and concise design make the structure portable for solar steam generation.