High-performance solar desalination enabled by a MoS2-LSCF nanocomposite photothermal fabric.

Global water scarcity necessitates efficient and sustainable desalination and purification strategies. Solar-driven interfacial evaporation (SDIE) represents a promising solution by exploiting abundant solar energy. However, the development of photothermal materials integrating broad solar absorption, efficient heat localization, fast water transport, and long-term stability remains challenging. Herein, we propose a novel photothermal material vertically housed by integrating molybdenum sulfide (MoS2) into lanthanum strontium cobalt ferrite (MoS2-LSCF) nanocomposites onto a hydrophilic cotton fabric. The MoS2 nanoparticles provide strong broadband light absorption (especially in the visible and near-infrared regions) for efficient solar-to-thermal conversion, while the perovskite LSCF framework enhances thermal stability, promotes charge/mass transport, and improves the structural integrity of the coating. Together, they form a durable and highly efficient photothermal interface. The optimized MoS2-LSCF fabric achieves an outstanding solar-thermal conversion efficiency of ∼89% and an evaporation rate of 2.02 kg m-2 h-1 under one-sun illumination. In addition, the fabric exhibits outstanding operational stability over 20 cycles and effective heat localization, as reflected by its low wet-state thermal conductivity of 0.173 W m-1 K-1. Collectively, this work provides a viable and efficient approach for practical solar-driven clean water production.