Issue 24, 2021

Study on the enhancing water collection efficiency of cactus- and beetle-like biomimetic structure using UV-induced controllable diffusion method and 3D printing technology

Abstract

Collecting water from fog flow has emerged as a promising strategy for the relief of water shortage problems. Herein, using a UV-induced (ultraviolet light induced) controllable diffusion method combined with technology of three-dimensional (3D) printing, we fabricate biomimetic materials incorporating beetle-like hydrophobic–hydrophilic character and cactus-like cone arrays with various structure parameters, and then systematically study their fog-harvesting performance. The UV-induced controllable diffusion method can break away from the photomask to regulate the hybrid wettability. Moreover, employing 3D printing technology can flexibly control the structure parameters to improve the water collection efficiency. It is found that the water collection rate (WCR) can be optimized by controlling the hybrid wettability of the sample surface and cone distance and using substrates with printed holes, which lead to a 109% increase of WCR.

Graphical abstract: Study on the enhancing water collection efficiency of cactus- and beetle-like biomimetic structure using UV-induced controllable diffusion method and 3D printing technology

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
25 Jan 2021
Accepted
08 Apr 2021
First published
21 Apr 2021
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY-NC license

RSC Adv., 2021,11, 14769-14776

Study on the enhancing water collection efficiency of cactus- and beetle-like biomimetic structure using UV-induced controllable diffusion method and 3D printing technology

L. Peng, K. Chen, D. Chen, J. Chen, J. Tang, S. Xiang, W. Chen, P. Liu, F. Zheng and J. Shi, RSC Adv., 2021, 11, 14769 DOI: 10.1039/D1RA00652E

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