A sponge‐like cotton fabric autonomously collects and releases water from fogs triggered by typical day‐and‐night temperature variations. The reversible switching between absorbing‐superhydrophilic/releasing‐superhydrophobic states results from structural changes of a temperature‐responsive polymer grafted on the very rough fabric‐surface. This material and concept presents a breakthrough into simple and versatile solutions for collection, uni‐directional flow, and purification of water captured from the atmosphere.
A sponge‐like cotton fabric autonomously collects and releases water from fogs, triggered by day‐ and night temperature variations, typically encountered in dry areas. The reversible switching between absorbing‐superhydrophilic/releasing‐superhydrophobic states results from structural changes of a temperature‐responsive polymer grafted on the highly rough fabric‐surface, as reported by John H. Xin, A. Catarina C. Esteves and co‐workers . This breakthough may help to reduce water depletion in dry areas.
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