University of Rochester, New York, USA

Laboratory and rooftop proof-of-concept of the femtosecond-laser-textured superwicking black aluminium interfacial crystallizer (ABF-STIC) using real ocean water from the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans. A 7-day continuous indoor run demonstrated stable evaporation output with the active surface self-cleaning via salt creeping to passive edges and reservoir salinity remaining flat (confirming zero liquid discharge). An outdoor sun-tracking rooftop run used a 9 cm² panel over ~9 hours. Important replication constraints: no square-metre prototype exists, no multi-year durability data, and no cost-per-litre figure is available. Corrosion, biofouling, laser-texture longevity, manufacturing cost at scale, and field salt-harvesting remain unvalidated.