A Ni@C nanowire-enabled photothermal membrane for highly efficient solar-driven interfacial water purification

Ni@C nanowires were in situ grown with about 5 nm nickel particles uniformly distributed along the one-dimensional framework. By assembling into a membrane, Ni@C exhibited 95.7% solar spectral absorption and a high water interfacial evaporation rate of 2.38 kg m⁻² h⁻¹ under one sun. Superhydrophobic modification further enabled long-term stable saline water evaporation. This work demonstrates the promising potential of non-precious Ni for solar photothermal conversion applications.