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The design and synthesis of solar steam generation materials have received considerable attention due to their capacity to produce freshwater from seawater or contaminated water by a straightforward utilisation of solar energy. The practical application of these materials, however, is restricted by their low evaporation efficiency and non-durable floating capacity on water. Herein, flexible and self-floating polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) based hybrid hydrogels for solar steam generation are designed and synthesized by assembling two types of functional particles within the network: conducting polymer hollow spheres (CPHSs) for achieving solar absorption and heat conversion, and silica aerogel microparticles for density reduction and efficient energy conversion confined to a small amount of surrounding water. Following a freezing process, functionalized hybrid hydrogels with macro-sized channels are generated, contributing to rapid water supply. The Janus surface nature, with one side being hydrophilic (contact angle ca. 60°) and another hydrophobic (contact angle up to 135°), of the hybrid hydrogel was found due to the formation of a gradient distribution of silica aerogel particles via controlling the gelation conditions. Consequently, the density of the hybrid hydrogels is controlled in the range of 0.8–1.0 g cm−3 and the thermal conductivity of the corresponding xerogels in the range of 0.030–0.035 W m−1 K−1, depending on the content of the silica aerogels. High water production of the hybrid hydrogel at a rate of 1.83 kg m−2 h−1 under 1 sun illumination has been demonstrated, which is an important step towards a cost-effective solution for the scarcity of clean water.

Self-floating hybrid hydrogels assembled with conducting polymer hollow spheres and silica aerogel microparticles for solar steam generation