Researchers develop new solar-thermal desalination process to produce fresh water in an energy-efficient way that requires no chemical additives to pre-treat the water. The key is a laser-etched superwicking black metal that distills the water and deposits the leftover salts and minerals as solid.

AI justification

Breakthrough in clean water tech with global scalability potential. | The development of a chemical-free, energy-efficient solar-thermal desalination process directly advances SDG 6 (Clean Water) and SDG 13 (Climate Action) by reducing freshwater scarcity and emissions. It also aligns with planetary boundaries by minimizing novel entities (chemical additives) and energy use, with no identified ethical violations.