Ultrathin metal-mesh Janus membranes with nanostructure-enhanced hydrophobicity for high-efficiency fog harvesting

Chen，Liyang1; Li，Wei1; Gan，Zhuofei1,2; Zhou，Yaya3; Chen，Ming1; Cui，Dehu2; Ge，Haixiong3; Chan，Paddy K.L.1; Wang，Liqiu1; Li，Wen Di1

2022-08-20

10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.132444

Journal of Cleaner Production   Impact Factor & Quartile

0959-6526

1879-1786

Fog harvesting has been reckoned to be one of the most facile and economical approaches to alleviating the everincreasing global water scarcity. Janus membranes, especially metallic ones, outperform other fog collectors in terms of fog harvesting efficiencies, and they are the selection for sustainable water production as passive devices. However, there is a lack of metallic Janus membranes with ultrasmall feature sizes due to the limitation of the laser ablation fabrication method, which restrains parameter optimization for highly efficient fog collectors. In this work, photolithography, electroplating, and nanoimprint lithography processes are employed to enable ultrasmall membrane thickness and nanopatterning on the membrane surface. A 4-mu m-thick ultrathin hierarchical metal-mesh Janus membrane with a pitch of 60 mu m is fabricated, which achieves a record-high water collection rate of 233 mg cm(-2).min(-1) with nanostructure-enhanced hydrophobicity. The morphology of the membrane is characterized by scanning electron microscopy, while the fog collection process is observed under a high-speed camera and a microscope. Experimental measurement and finite-element numerical modeling unveil that a smaller membrane thickness and a more hydrophobic water-collecting surface contribute to higher water collection rates by accelerating water transport and reducing water re-evaporation.

Janus membranes Fog harvesting Nanostructure-altered wettability Interfacial engineering Ultrathin metal meshes

SCI ; EI

English

Others

General Research Fund of the Research Grants Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region["17205421","17204420","17209320","17210319","17207419","17204718"] ; 5G Frontier Project of Nanshan, Shenzhen, China[K20799112] ; University of Hong Kong["202011159235","202010160046"]

Science & Technology - Other Topics ; Engineering ; Environmental Sciences & Ecology

Green & Sustainable Science & Technology ; Engineering, Environmental ; Environmental Sciences

WOS:000821921500003

ELSEVIER SCI LTD

20222612279230

Efficiency ; Harvesting ; High speed cameras ; Hydrophobicity ; Membranes ; Metals ; Morphology ; Nanoimprint lithography ; Scanning electron microscopy ; Water conservation

Water Resources:444 ; Photographic Equipment:742.2 ; Reproduction, Copying:745.2 ; Nanotechnology:761 ; Agricultural Methods:821.3 ; Production Engineering:913.1 ; Physical Properties of Gases, Liquids and Solids:931.2 ; Solid State Physics:933 ; Materials Science:951

2-s2.0-85132762875

Web of Science

1.Department of Mechanical Engineering,University of Hong Kong,Hong Kong,China
2.School of Microelectronics,Southern University of Science and Technology,Shenzhen,China
3.Department of Materials Science and Engineering,College of Engineering and Applied Sciences,Nanjing University,Nanjing,China

Chen，Liyang,Li，Wei,Gan，Zhuofei,et al. Ultrathin metal-mesh Janus membranes with nanostructure-enhanced hydrophobicity for high-efficiency fog harvesting[J]. Journal of Cleaner Production,2022,363.

Chen，Liyang.,Li，Wei.,Gan，Zhuofei.,Zhou，Yaya.,Chen，Ming.,...&Li，Wen Di.(2022).Ultrathin metal-mesh Janus membranes with nanostructure-enhanced hydrophobicity for high-efficiency fog harvesting.Journal of Cleaner Production,363.

Chen，Liyang,et al."Ultrathin metal-mesh Janus membranes with nanostructure-enhanced hydrophobicity for high-efficiency fog harvesting".Journal of Cleaner Production 363(2022).