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Biomimetic surface engineering for sustainable water harvesting systems

Nature Water volume 1, pages 587–601 (2023)Cite this article

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Abstract

Freshwater scarcity is becoming a global issue due to changing climatic conditions, which has stimulated the development of all-weather water harvesting technologies. Recent advances in regulating surface properties to tailor water capture/release behaviours have attracted increasing attention for water harvesting applications such as fog/dew harvesting, moisture harvesting, and solar evaporation. This Review provides an overview of the design of surfaces and the manipulation of active components to tune the behaviour of water droplets in different water harvesting systems. Taking inspiration from nature, we present a critical survey of the surface wettability, structures, and compositions used by various insects and plants to manage their water demands. We summarize the latest progress in developing desired surface properties and strategies to advance key processes in water harvesting such as droplet nucleation, growth and removal, vapour sorption–desorption, and evaporation. The challenges and opportunities to further develop a sustainable water harvesting system, encompassing both fundamental research and practical implementation, are highlighted.

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Fig. 1: Nature-inspired water harvesting technologies.
Fig. 2: Water management mechanisms for fog and dew harvesting.
Fig. 3: Water management mechanisms and design theory for moisture harvesting and solar technologies.
Fig. 4: Hierarchical structures of creatures and plants that have inspired water harvesting devices.
Fig. 5: Strategies for the design of fog and dew harvesting surfaces.
Fig. 6: Energy management and materials optimization in fog and dew harvesting systems.
Fig. 7: Design strategies for moisture harvesting systems.
Fig. 8: Design strategies for solar evaporation systems.

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Acknowledgements

K.C.T acknowledges financial support from NSERC and CFI Canada. Y.W. is grateful for the support of the China Scholarship Council.

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  1. These authors contributed equally: Yi Wang, Weinan Zhao.

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  1. Department of Chemical Engineering, Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada

    Yi Wang, Weinan Zhao, Mei Han, Jiaxin Xu & Kam Chiu Tam

  2. The Water Institute, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada

    Yi Wang, Weinan Zhao, Jiaxin Xu & Kam Chiu Tam

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Wang, Y., Zhao, W., Han, M. et al. Biomimetic surface engineering for sustainable water harvesting systems. Nat Water 1, 587–601 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s44221-023-00109-1

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