Template‐Free Synthesis of Long‐Range Ordered Mesoporous Nanofibers Enabled by Spatial‐Confinement‐Directed 1D Self‐Assembly Strategy for Thermal‐Water Management

ABSTRACT Solar‐driven interfacial evaporation (SIE) is a promising strategy for sustainable water purification. However, balancing the minimal heat losses from excessive water heating with a sufficient water supply is challenging owing to the constraints of the evaporator pore structure design. In this study, a spatial‐confinement‐directed self‐assembly strategy for water molecules was developed for the template‐free fabrication of one‐dimensional mesoporous structures with high aspect ratios and ordered features within nanofibers. This strategy featured the flexible tailoring of the water‐phase self‐assembly pathway within the charged jet, thereby facilitating nucleation‐growth‐oriented elongation‐diffusion/radial compression‐diffusion. This enabled the one‐step synthesis of long‐range‐ordered mesoporous nanofibers. The nanofibers were further oriented and assembled in a cylindrical aerogel evaporator with a dual‐ordered macro/mesoporous structure. Such a hierarchical structure imparts an SIE material with anisotropic thermal conductivity, channeling heat mainly vertically while minimizing dissipation to bulk water. Moreover, the long‐range ordered channels ensure rapid and adaptable water delivery. Consequently, this evaporator exhibited a superior total apparent evaporation rate of 3.68 kg·m − 2 ·h − 1 and an evaporation efficiency of 99.53%. Moreover, the system exhibited excellent stability and adaptability under harsh conditions, highlighting its potential for sustainable applications. This study provides a foundation for designing thermal‐management materials for future resource‐efficient and environmentally sustainable technologies.