A CLEAN framework of photothermal evaporation-coupled catalysis

Sunlight-driven photothermal water evaporation technology is currently reinventing the landscape of clean water and energy production. However, conventional photothermal evaporators primarily convert solar energy into latent heat for vapor generation, leaving the photochemical potential underutilized. This perspective introduces the concept of photothermal evaporation-coupled catalysis (PECC), in which the photothermal interface is augmented with catalytic functionality to achieve simultaneous sunlight-driven water purification and chemical upgrading. We first elucidate the physicochemical principles of energy partitioning for the synergy between solar water evaporation and catalysis and the materials chemistry principles for energy-efficient PECC design. Furthermore, we categorize the application scenarios of PECC based on interfacial reaction pathways, outline the unsystematized engineering principles of solar thermal management for PECC system integration, and finally propose the CLEAN paradigm to leverage the microscale principles of PECC and macroscale technoeconomic feasibility toward scalable, sustainable solar water-chemical factories.