New material can collect water all day

The material, which is a hydrogel membrane with microarchitecture, can collect water by

solar steam generation and fog collection. These are two independent processes that typically require two separate devices. An article about this material was published in the journal Nature Communications.

At night, low-lying clouds along the coastline are filled with water droplets. Devices capable of collecting these droplets and turning the mist into drinking water.

Recycling solar steam is another methodcollecting water. It works especially well in coastal areas as it also purifies water at night and during the day. In this method, the sun's heat causes the water to evaporate, which can be condensed into drinking water.

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“Lack of water is a huge problem thatHumanity will have to overcome as the world's population continues to grow, ”says Julia Greer, professor of materials science, mechanics and medical engineering. "Water covers three quarters of the globe, but only about half a percent is available fresh water."

Researchers have dedicated their careers to developingmicro and nanoarchitectural materials, that is, materials whose very shape (controlled at each length scale, nanoscopic and microscopic) gives them unusual and potentially useful properties. In this case, they created a membrane from an array of tiny thorns that resemble Christmas tree decorations, but are actually inspired by the shape of the thorns of a cactus.

During tests carried out at night, samplesmaterial with an area of ​​55 to 125 square cm were able to collect about 35 ml of water from the fog. In tests carried out during the day, the material was able to collect about 125 ml of water from solar steam.

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