Recent Advances and Challenges of Metal‐Based Materials for Solar Steam Generation

Abstract Global energy and environmental problems are becoming increasingly prominent, and the shortage of freshwater resources has been plaguing many countries and regions in the world. Solar steam generation (SSG) has emerged as a green, low‐cost and efficient strategy for freshwater production, which has attracted enormous attention in recent years. Furthermore, various photothermal materials and structural designs for the preparation of efficient SSG systems have been widely reported. Among them, metal‐based photothermal materials are abundant, and the exploration on metal‐based SSG systems is one of the important research directions. In this review, the basic concepts and design objectives of current metal‐based SSG systems are first introduced, as well as advances in the recent development of metal‐based photothermal materials, including photothermal mechanisms, and preparation methods. The evaluation criteria of the SSG system are further described. Then the development of metal‐based SSG systems is summarized in terms of structural design, functional modules (light absorption, thermal management, water transport, salt rejection, etc.), and potential applications (wastewater treatment, sterilization and other fields). Finally, the main challenges and future prospects of metal‐based SSG systems in basic research and practical applications are emphasized.