Modular arborized fog harvesting device with coordinated mechanism of capture and transport

• Published in: Nano today 2025-02, Vol.60, p.102557, Article 102557
• Main Authors: Zhang, Huayang, Xie, Shangzhen, Tian, Guangyi, Zhang, Yihang, Guo, Zhiguang
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 3D tree-like structure; Capture and transport relationship; Fog harvesting; Modular design; Superhydrophilic and superhydrophobic patterns
• ISSN: 1748-0132
• DOI: 10.1016/j.nantod.2024.102557

With global water scarcity a growing problem, fog harvesting technology has emerged as an effective solution. Industrial development and population growth have exacerbated the need for efficient, dismantlable, and assembled fog harvesting devices, as well as the requirement to optimize the droplet capture-transport relationship. In this study, a novel modular bionic 3D tree-like structure for fog harvesting system (3D-TSFHS) was developed to achieve rapid droplet transport by means of Nepenthes-inspired superslip leaves (SSLs). In addition, aluminum (Al) cones with superhydrophilic and superhydrophobic (SHL-SHB) patterns were prepared to enhance the droplet capture efficiency by drawing on the special wettability and structural features of various plants and animals such as cactus, spider silk, desert beetles, lizards and camphor leaves. This artificial design significantly enhances the overall capture and transport relationship. The resulting embedded superslip leaves Al cone fog harvesting (E-SLAC-FH) dramatically improves the fog harvesting efficiency and exhibits excellent durability. Assembling this fog harvesting into a 3D-TSFHS achieves a high fog harvesting efficiency of 0.462 g∙cm−2∙min−1. The system's modular design and its exceptional durability ensure its potential for a wide range of applications in a variety of real-world scenarios. [Display omitted] •Inspired by a variety of biological water harvesting structures and wettability mechanisms in nature, an embedded super-slip leaf Al cone fog harvesting (E-SLAC-FH) was designed and prepared.•Using advanced 3D printing technology, the bionic stump structure was prepared to achieve the modular design of the overall system.•The E-SLAC-FH is inserted into the groove of the bionic stump to form a highly efficient fog harvesting system with an excellent fog harvesting efficiency of 0.462 g∙cm−2∙min−1.•The impact of capture and transport coordination on fog harvesting efficiency is explored in depth, and the prospects for the application of advanced manufacturing technologies in the field of fog harvesting are assessed.