Among the various methods for the preparation of nanoparticles, a sparking process at atmospheric pressure is of interest because it is a simple method for producing nanoparticles ranging from a few nanometer-sized particles to agglomerated film structures. In this research, we studied the effects of metal electrode properties on nanoparticle sizes. The experiments were carried out by applying a high voltage to different metal sparkling tips. The transfer of energies from positive ions and electron bombardments induced the melting and vaporization of electrode metals. Based on this research, we have developed a model to describe the formation of a nanoparticle film on the substrate, placed under the sparking gap, and the nanostructure produced by metal vapor on the sparking electrodes. The model provides a realistic tool that can be used for the design of a large-scale coating and the application of nanoparticles developed by this process for the filtration of PM2.5 mask fabric by air.

Accumulation of soil and surface reflection significantly compromise the energy yield of photovoltaic (PV) modules. This study presents a scalable, solvent-free approach to fabricating multifunctional coatings via magnetic-field-assisted spark ablation. Comparative analysis confirms that replacing conventional Ti with Sn accelerates the deposition rate by threefold while maintaining photocatalytic efficiency comparable to benchmark TiO₂. Furthermore, we demonstrate that applying an in-situ external magnetic field acts as a critical phase modulator, stabilizing a unique biphasic SnO₂–SnO heterojunction and promoting dense nanoparticle aggregation. Importantly, the combined effect of material substitution (Sn instead of Ti) and magnetic-field-optimized scanning results in an overall increase in deposition speed by 5.25-fold, establishing this method as an exceptionally rapid and industrially viable solution. The optimized coating enhanced the solar panel’s power conversion efficiency (PCE) by 4.02% under clean conditions. Significantly, under simulated muddy-water exposure, the coated modules exhibited superior anti-soiling capabilities, achieving a net PCE gain of 6.00% relative to uncoated panels. The coating also demonstrated exceptional mechanical robustness, retaining structural integrity after 10,000 water-impact cycles. These findings establish the process as a rapid, industrially viable technique for producing durable, high-efficiency surfaces.