Bioinspired Composite Materials used for Efficient Fog Harvesting with Structures that Consist of Fungi-Mycelia Networks

Abstract

In order to address water shortage issues around the world, the collection of fog has been considered as one possible effective solution. In this study, after cultivating several fungi, an abundance of water droplets was found on their surfaces. Based on the morphology and property analyses, a structure that facilitates the effective collection of water was proposed. The structure consists of heterogeneous fiber diameters and a hierarchical structure that provides both hydrophobic and hydrophilic properties. In order to mimic the fungi that collect water, the composite water-collection material was fabricated using a hydrophobic, hierarchical-structured, polyurethane (PU), nanofiber membrane, and hydrophilic filter paper, adhered by polyacrylamide (PAM). The surface of the hydrophilic filter paper captures water droplets from the air, and after the droplets coalesce, the convex structure of the PU membrane allows the membrane to transport the collected water. The water-collection experiment demonstrated that the hydrophilic−hydrophobic amphiphilic materials with thick and thin fibers coexist, and as a result, they can collect water effectively. The water-collection efficiency of the fungi-bioinspired materials achieved a rate of 1018.6 mg cm −2 h −1 when the surroundings were 22 ± 2 °C and 65 ± 5% RH. This work provides a new inspiration and effective methods for the development of bioinspired water-collection materials aimed at solving water shortages.

Bioinspired and Biodegradable Functionalized Graphene Oxide/Deacetylated Cellulose Acetate Composite Janus Membranes for Water Evaporation-Induced Electricity Generation

“…These mass loss values were obtained by using a balance (accuracy 0.0001 g) (GR-202, A&D, Japan) to weigh the mass of water evaporated from the materials (Figure S6). ,− The evaporation rates were calculated using the evaporated mass of water according to eq S3.…”

“…Likewise, the slow degradation rate, brittleness, and poor hydrophilicity of PLA restrict its potential applications . In contrast, cellulose is the most abundant bio-based polymer on Earth, with an annual production of approximately 100 billion tons. , It is widely found in the cell walls of plants and possesses hydroxyl groups that give it a high water transport capacity. Moreover, cellulose can be degraded into non-toxic components (carbon dioxide and water) by microorganisms under specific conditions.…”

Multi-bioinspired hierarchical integrated hydrogel for passive fog harvesting and solar-driven seawater desalination

“…At present, the water in the atmosphere is often collected by modifying the surface wettability or transforming the surface structure and morphology of the material to create biomimetic surface [27] , [28] , [29] , [30] . However, due to the relatively low water collection efficiency of planar structure, and the delicate operation of multiple steps are often required during the preliminary design, the production scale is also relatively limited at the same time [29] , [31] .…”

Bionic Surfaces for Fog Collection: A Comprehensive Review of Natural Organisms and Bioinspired Strategies

“…In nature, certain insects and plants have evolved to utilize fog as an important source of freshwater, particularly in arid regions where rainfall is scarce . These organisms have undergone extended periods of evolution, developing specialized structures and chemicals that enable them to extract freshwater from fog. − Notable examples include the Namib Desert beetles, − spiders, − cactus, − etc. The mechanism of fog collection by these organisms has become a subject of considerable interest, leading to the development of various fog-collecting surfaces through different methods.…”