Effect of magnetic field on the spatial structure and evaporation rate of magnetic photothermal membrane Fe3O4@CDs in solar steam generation system
摘要
Developing efficient and adaptive photothermal materials is crucial for advancing solar steam generation (SSG) technologies for sustainable water purification. Here, we investigate the influence of an external magnetic field on the spatial reconfiguration and evaporation performance of Fe3O4-decorated carbon dots (CDs) photothermal membrane. We show that moderate magnetic field strengths (~0.2 T) induce the formation of 3D needle-like architectures, enhancing solar absorption, thermal localization, and evaporation efficiency. Conversely, excessive field strengths (>0.3 T) lead to structural instability, reducing photothermal performance. The maximum evaporation rate of the Fe3O4@CDs-based photothermal membrane reaches 1.502 kgm−2h−1 under 1 sun irradiation and 0.2 T. These findings highlight the role of magnetic field-induced structural evolution in optimizing solar-driven water evaporation, offering new strategies for the design of reconfigurable, high-performance photothermal materials.