University of Rochester researchers developed a solar desalination system that converts seawater into fresh water without toxic brine waste. Led by Chunlei Guo, the technology uses laser-treated black metal panels that absorb nearly all incoming sunlight and attract water through superwicking properties. This breakthrough addresses traditional desalination's energy intensity and environmental impact while potentially extracting valuable minerals.

The system works by drawing seawater across specially patterned surfaces where sunlight evaporates the water, leaving salts behind. Unlike conventional methods that create liquid brine, this design prevents salt buildup using microscopic grooves and the coffee ring effect. When tested with Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Ocean samples, the panels continuously produced fresh water while directing salts to passive collection regions for later recovery.

A significant advantage is recovering lithium from seawater—valuable for electric vehicle batteries. The same technology embedded with hydrogen titanate nanoparticles successfully extracted 50% of lithium from Utah's Great Salt Lake. Supported by NSF and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, this approach could expand freshwater access while creating sustainable mineral sources, though scaling from proof-of-concept to practical implementation remains a next step.