DLP 3D printed ionic hydrogels are designed as sensitivity-improved electrodes in a skin-like sensor.

Solar steam generation is one of the most promising solar-energy-harvesting technologies to address the issue of water shortage. Despite intensive efforts to develop high-efficiency solar steam generation devices, challenges remain in terms of the relatively low solar thermal efficiency, complicated fabrications, high cost, and difficulty in scaling up. Herein, a double-network hydrogel with a porous structure (p-PEGDA-PANi) is demonstrated for the first time as a flexible, recyclable, and efficient photothermal platform for low-cost and scalable solar steam generation. As a novel photothermal platform, the p-PEGDA-PANi involves all necessary properties of efficient broadband solar absorption, exceptional hydrophilicity, low heat conductivity, and porous structure for high-efficiency solar steam generation. As a result, the hydrogel-based solar steam generator exhibits a maximum solar thermal efficiency of 91.5% with an evaporation rate of 1.40 kg m h under 1 sun illumination, which is comparable to state-of-the-art solar steam generation devices. Furthermore, the good durability and environmental stability of the p-PEGDA-PANi hydrogel enables a convenient recycling and reusing process toward real-life applications. The present research not only provides a novel photothermal platform for solar energy harvest but also opens a new avenue for the application of the hydrogel materials in solar steam generation.

The economic and safety issues caused by ice accretion have become more and more serious. Except for traditional ways of anti‐icing, such as spraying agents, mechanical/thermal removal, etc., more economic approaches are urgently required. This work demonstrates the conceptual feasibility of using a self‐lubricated photothermal coating for both anti‐icing and deicing function. The coating is generally water repellent and infiltrated with hydrocarbon or perfluorocarbon oils as the lubricant to endow a liquid interface for preventing ice accumulation and minimizing the adhesion of ice on surfaces once it is formed. Fe3O4 nanoparticles are added to the film to afford high efficiency photothermal effect under near‐infrared irradiation for rapidly melting the accumulated ice. The conceptual strategy can be easily implemented as a facile method to fabricate analogous sprayed coatings. It represents a major advance to tackle the challenging icing issue that is normally seen as a disaster in everyday life.