Photothermal and photoelectric properties of Ag@Fe3O4 nanofluids

To improve the utilization efficiency of solar energy, Ag@Fe3O4 core-shell nanoparticles with strong light absorption capacity were prepared, and showed good photothermal and photoelectric properties. Synergistic effects of nanoparticle concentration, light intensity and metal foam on photothermal and photoelectric properties were studied. The results showed that the SPR effect of nanoparticles improves the light absorption ability. Compared with deionized water, the addition of nanoparticles can increase the temperature by 6.10% and the power generation efficiency by 18.75%. When the concentration exceeds a certain range, the increase in concentration no longer plays a positive role. The increase of light intensity can increase the voltage and output power by up to 45.28% and 44.78%. However, it will increase the temperature gradient between the surface and the bottom of the nanofluids, increase the heat loss, and lead to a decrease in power generation efficiency. The synergistic effect of nanoparticles and metal foam can better improve the photothermal performance. The addition of metal foam can increase the power generation efficiency by 5.65%.