Configurations Manipulation of Electrospun Membranes Based on High‐Entropy Alloys–Enabled High‐Performance Solar Water Evaporation

Abstract

Solar‐driven interfacial steam technology converts photons into heat energy directly and therefore realizes the effective removal of environmental pollutants, which presents huge potential in seawater desalination and freshwater production. To realize efficient and rapid solar‐driven water evaporation, developing and designing efficient photothermal conversion materials is of great significance. Herein, a high‐entropy alloy (HEA) fiber membrane with rapid heating and wide spectral response is synthesized via adjusting high‐entropy metals diffusion on the surface of carbon nanofibers by an electrospinning technology. Benefiting from the low equivalent evaporation enthalpy and high solar spectrum capacity of HEA fibers, the HEA (FeCoNiCuMn)‐carbon nanofiber‐5S2 achieves a rapid steam‐generation rate of 2.74 kg m−2 h−1 with a solar‐to‐vapor conversion efficiency of 99.4% under 1 sun illumination. In addition, the evaporator presented a stable seawater desalination and wastewater purification performance. Therefore, the HEA‐based solar evaporator can be an alternative photothermal material for efficient solar steam generation.