Inorganic structure body, device, and method for manufacturing inorganic structure body

A device comprising an inorganic structure body comprising a free-standing structure including at least one of a fibrous member and a shell, the at least one of the fibrous member and the shell including at least one of a metal and an inorganic material and having a three-dimensionally continuous configuration, the inorganic structure body serving as a photothermal conversion member that absorbs light and converts the light to heat, the device further comprising a support body that has a water absorbing property and a thermal insulation property, a first surface of the support body being in contact with the inorganic structure body, a second surface of the support body being in contact with a liquid, the device being configured to evaporate the liquid by using the heat converted by the inorganic structure body.

A method for manufacturing an inorganic structure body, the method comprising:

• a forming step of forming at least one of a metal and an inorganic material on a surface of a substrate including a polymer, thereby forming, on the surface of the substrate, a free-standing structure that includes at least one of a fibrous member and a shell, the at least one of the fibrous member and the shell including the at least one of the metal and the inorganic material and having a three-dimensionally continuous configuration, wherein, in the forming step, the at least one of the metal and the inorganic material is physically vapor deposited onto only one side of the substrate and wherein, in the forming step, at least one of Pt, Au, Ag, Ru, Ir, Cu, Sn, Ni, Cr, and Zn is used as the metal;
• and
• a removing step of removing all or a portion of the substrate to achieve the inorganic structure body that is nonwoven fabric structure having flexibility, the nonwoven fabric structure including a semi-tubular nanowire that has a three-dimensionally continuous configuration.