Synthetic trees for enhanced solar evaporation and water harvesting

Solar steam generation from a porous evaporator is promising approach for harvesting fresh water. Parasitic heat loss can be reduced by using 3D that extends above the free surface; however, capillary rise constrains height of such structures to centimeter scale. Here, we demonstrate solar synthetic tree, which uses transpiration instead pump water up insulating tubes any desired height. A nanoporous ceramic disk coated with graphite was used leaf, attached upper end vertical array plastic tubes. Using still, it observed tree harvested approximately three times more condensed than an equivalent bulk reservoir.