{
  "abstract": "Solar-driven interfacial evaporation offers a sustainable route to freshwater production, yet the role of evaporator microstructure in regulating water state and transport remains insufficiently understood. Here, chitosan-based photothermal aerogels with tunable lamellar architectures were fabricated by freeze-drying, using carbon nanotubes as broadband solar absorbers. Varying the chitosan concentration modulated the interlayer spacing and associated water state within the aerogels. The optimized CS2.5 aerogel exhibited the highest intermediate-water proportion and the lowest apparent evaporation enthalpy of 1652.1 kJ kg−1, while maintaining solar absorptance above 97.8%. Under 1 sun irradiation, CS2.5 achieved an evaporation rate of 2.33 kg m−2 h−1 and maintained stable performance in NaCl solutions of up to 15 wt%, organic-contaminated water, and prolonged cycling tests. Idealized COMSOL Multiphysics 6.3 simulations indicated that a moderate interlayer spacing promoted a uniform velocity distribution and smooth pressure gradient, thereby facilitating water transport. During six consecutive days of outdoor operation, the evaporator delivered daily evaporation yields of 1.38–2.30 kg m−2 under fluctuating environmental conditions. These findings provide insights into coordinating lamellar architecture, water-state regulation, and fluid transport for efficient solar evaporation.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "State Key Laboratory of Low-Carbon Smart Coal-Fired Power Generation and Ultra-Clean Emission, China Energy Science and Technology Research Institute Co., Ltd., Nanjing 210023, China",
    "Key Laboratory of Energy Thermal Conversion and Control of Ministry of Education, School of Energy and Environment, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China",
    "Key Laboratory of Jiangsu Province for Chemical Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, School of Environmental and Biological Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing 210094, China",
    "Zhejiang Key Laboratory for Restoration of Damaged Coastal Ecosystems, School of Life Sciences, Taizhou University, Taizhou 318000, China"
  ],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 11,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Fengxia An"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "Zihan Chen"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "Binbin Wang"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Ke Zhuang"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "Jiayun He"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "Shunde Zou"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Xiaohuan Meng"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        3
      ],
      "name": "Enmin Zong"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "Haopeng Luo"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "Huan Chen",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-8928-0296"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "Fang Jiang"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/4jk159mp8rm3q.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.3390/nano16211413",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "4jk159mp8rm3q",
  "issns": [
    "2079-4991"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://www.mdpi.com/2079-4991/16/21/1413",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY 4.0",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [],
  "openalex": null,
  "pdf_url": null,
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-11-03",
  "publisher": "MDPI AG",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/4jk159mp8rm3q.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-11-04T00:24:14Z",
      "native_id": "10.3390/nano16211413",
      "source": "crossref",
      "url": "https://www.mdpi.com/2079-4991/16/21/1413"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "chemistry",
      "origin": "issn:2079-4991",
      "subfield": "materials-polymers"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Interlayer Architecture Modulates Water State and Transport in Chitosan Aerogels for Solar-Driven Interfacial Evaporation",
  "title_text": "Interlayer Architecture Modulates Water State and Transport in Chitosan Aerogels for Solar-Driven Interfacial Evaporation",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-11-05T00:20:54Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/4jk159mp8rm3q",
  "venue": "Nanomaterials",
  "versions": []
}