Asymmetric fibers for efficient fog harvesting

Zhu，Pingan1,2,3; Chen，Rifei2,4; Zhou，Chunmei2,3; Tian，Ye5; Wang，Liqiu2,3

2021-07-01

10.1016/j.cej.2021.128944

CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL   影响因子和分区

1385-8947

1873-3212

Access to sustainable, clean, and safe freshwater remains a global challenge. Harvesting atmospheric fog droplets with mesh collectors enables an environmental-friendly supply of good-quality freshwater. However, the functional outcomes of existing fibers used in collectors are not satisfactory, because of the inadequacies of conventional fiber design in engineering the surface microstructures and properties. By selectively combining functionalities and advantages of natural structures, we design fibers with synergistic asymmetry in their shape, surface roughness, and surface chemistry to simultaneously enhance fog deposition and water drainage. We draw inspiration from the rugged shape of Gunnera leaf to enhance fog deposition, the hierarchical surface roughness of Cotula leaf to lubricate the pathway for rapid water drainage, and the heterogeneous wettability of the Namib Desert beetle to promote the directional water transport in bridging fog deposition and water drainage. These fibers achieve a fog-harvesting rate of up to 8.2 × 10 g cm s, a 7-time enhancement, and thus represent a step-change in addressing the grand challenge of global water shortage.

3D printing Asymmetric fiber Fog harvesting Microfluidics Synergistic bioinspiration

SCI ; EI

英语

其他

Research Grants Council of Hong Kong["GRF 17204420",17210319,17204718,17237316,"CRF C1018-17G"] ; City University of Hong Kong[9610502]

Engineering

Engineering, Environmental ; Engineering, Chemical

WOS:000643674300001

ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA

20210909997241

Deposition ; Drainage ; Fibers ; Fog ; Harvesting ; Surface chemistry ; Water

Atmospheric Properties:443.1 ; Physical Chemistry:801.4 ; Chemical Operations:802.3 ; Agricultural Methods:821.3 ; Physical Properties of Gases, Liquids and Solids:931.2

ENGINEERING

2-s2.0-85101503511

Scopus

1.Department of Mechanical Engineering,City University of Hong Kong,Hong Kong
2.Department of Mechanical Engineering,The University of Hong Kong,Hong Kong
3.HKU-Zhejiang Institute of Research and Innovation (HKU-ZIRI),Hangzhou,311300,China
4.Department of Materials Science and Engineering,Southern University of Science and Technology,Shenzhen,518055,China
5.College of Medicine and Biological Information Engineering,Northeastern University,Shenyang,110169,China

Zhu，Pingan,Chen，Rifei,Zhou，Chunmei,et al. Asymmetric fibers for efficient fog harvesting[J]. CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL,2021,415.

Zhu，Pingan,Chen，Rifei,Zhou，Chunmei,Tian，Ye,&Wang，Liqiu.(2021).Asymmetric fibers for efficient fog harvesting.CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL,415.

Zhu，Pingan,et al."Asymmetric fibers for efficient fog harvesting".CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL 415(2021).