ACS Omega
·
2025
·
IF 4.3
Xue Gao,Chaosheng Li,Chengbin Shen
To address water scarcity in arid regions, this study proposes a high-efficiency fog harvesting material development strategy based on wettability gradient regulation. Controllable assembly of polyvinyl chloride nanofibers with bead-on-string structures on hydrophilic substrate surfaces is achieved through a 5 min electrospinning process. The fabricated Janus membrane achieves a contact angle differential of 141°, establishing an asymmetric wetting structure that enables directional droplet transport. Experimental data show that its fog water collection flux is 2.1 times higher than those of traditional hydrophilic materials. Surface water droplets were absorbed by the Janus membrane in only 2 ms, while they were absorbed by the hydrophilic membrane in at least 5 ms. Moreover, after the water droplets were absorbed, the Janus membrane surface can remain in a fresh, dry state, which is conducive to further water absorption. The underlying mechanisms for the enhanced fog harvesting performance were detailed, with numerical simulations used to study the impact of the hydrophilic layer’s wettability on liquid penetration. Such a Janus membrane can be a promising candidate for fog harvesting against the water crisis.
研究领域:
材料科学
·
环境科学
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DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
·
2024
·
IF 8.3
Guangyi Tian,Changhui Fu,Zhiguang Guo
Water scarcity is a global problem and collecting water from the air is a viable solution to this crisis. Inspired by Namib Desert beetle, leaf venation and spider silk, we designed an integrated biomimetic system with hybrid wettability and wettability gradient. The hybrid hydrophilic–hydrophobic wettability design that bionomics desert beetle’s back can construct a three-dimensional topography with a water layer on the surface, expanding the contact area with the fog flow and thus improving the droplet trapping efficiency. The venation-like structure with wettability gradient not only provides a planned path for water transportation, but also accelerates water removal under the synergistic effect of gravity and wettability driving force, thus further improving the surface regeneration rate. The collector combines droplet capture, coalescence, transportation, separation, and storage capabilities, which provides new ideas for the design of future high-efficiency fog collectors.
研究领域:
材料科学
·
环境科学
·
生物学
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产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
COLLOIDS AND SURFACES A-PHYSICOCHEMICAL AND ENGINEERING ASPECTS
·
2024
·
IF 4.9
Feifeng Hu,Guangyi Tian,Huayang Zhang,Zhiguang Guo
The shortage of freshwater resources has a great impact on the daily life of human beings, and fog collection has become an effective mitigation measure. In this paper, inspired by the nanofabricated desert beetle, honeycomb, Euphorbia antiquorum L. and cactus, a 3D fog collector combining a conical array structural gradient and a wettability gradient was presented, with special three-dimensional array structure (TA-L/B (PPC)) that ensures that the fog-collecting efficiency of the samples is virtually independent of the direction of the fog flow. The fog collection efficiency of sample TA-L/B (PPC) is close to 4.3 g·h −1 ·cm −2 , a value that is 1.77 times higher than the surface fog collection efficiency of the copper sheet (OS) sample. By rationally designing the surface structure of the sample, the fog circulation process is accelerated, and a sustainable and stable fog collection process is achieved.
研究领域:
材料科学
·
环境科学
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
高影响因子
SEPARATION AND PURIFICATION TECHNOLOGY
·
2024
·
IF 8.1
Huanian Han,Quan Shen,Wenlong Wu,Jingjing Jiao,Long Li,Jiaojing Shao,Tao Zhu,Peng Xu
The treatment of oily wastewater, especially emulsions by membranes attracts growing attention nowadays. However, the handling of industrial oily wastewater, especially emulsions, remains a challenging issue and high flux and efficiency in emulsion separation usually depend on energy-consuming external driving pressure. In this work, we report a functional gradient membrane (GM) with special wettability and structure gradient in the thickness direction for highly efficient emulsion separation. The GM is prepared by a one-step electrospinning strategy using PS-PAN and GO@PAN to tune the wettability of each layer in the membrane following a specially designed fabrication protocol. The prepared GM has a wettability gradient of superhydrophilicity to hydrophobicity and a structure gradient of spindles on fibers caused by GO content variation. The wettability gradient of GM generates remarkable unidirectional liquid transport properties and significantly higher fluxes for emulsion separation than the homogeneous GO@PAN membrane while the GO and the spindles on fibers facilitate the demulsification and coalesce of demulsified oil droplets. As a result, ultrahigh separation flux and efficiency have been obtained in surfactant-free oil-in-water emulsion separation only under gravity and an energy-efficient separation of surfactant-stabilized emulsions under low gravity condition has also been achieved by the GM. In addition, the GO spindle structure in GM makes it present favorable antifouling properties. After several cycles of separation, the emulsion flux can be restored to about 100% of the initial flux after simple cleaning. Thus, the special wettability and structure gradient endows the GM with excellent energy-efficient and stable separation performance, showing tremendous potential in the field of oil–water separation.
研究领域:
材料科学
·
环境工程
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
高影响因子
LANGMUIR
·
2022
·
IF 4.331
Ming Liu,Chenghao Li,Zhilong Peng,Shaohua Chen,Bo Zhang
The flexible manipulation of droplets manifests a wide spectrum of applications, such as micro-flow control, drug-targeted therapy, and microelectromechanical system heat dissipation. How to realize the efficient control of droplets has become a problem of concern. In this paper, a simple method that can realize the transport of droplets along any controllable path is proposed. It not only has a simple preparation process and clear transport mechanism but is also easy to realize in manipulation technology. A magnetic-sensitive surface is prepared by filling a polymer matrix with magnetic particles and immersing in a lubricant. Under the action of an external magnetic field, rough microstructures are generated locally on the surface, forming the wettability gradient with the area far away from the field. Moving the magnetic field, the wettability gradient region moves accordingly and drives droplets to transport. To better control the transport path of droplets or realize a more complex path design, a ring-shaped magnetic field is further adopted, during which the droplet is automatically located in the ring-shaped region and moves with the movement of the ring-shaped magnetic field. The present technique is simple and easy to implement, which should be helpful in the field of precise regulation of the droplet position.
研究领域:
材料科学
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微流控技术
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生物医学工程
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产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
iScience
·
2024
·Vol. 27
·期 2
·108790-108790
·
IF 4.6
Yufan Ji,Bowen Yang,Feng Cai,Tianfu Song,Haifeng Yu
Numerous anticounterfeiting platforms using photoresponsive materials have been designed to improve information security, enabling applications in anticounterfeiting technology. However, fabricating sophisticated micro/nanostructures using bidirectional mass transport to achieve advanced anticounterfeiting remains challenging. Here, we propose one strategy to achieve steerable mass transport in a photoresponsive system with the assistance of solvent vapor at room temperature. Upon optimizing the host-guest ratio and the width of photoisomerized areas, wettability gradient is acquired just photo-patterning once, then bidirectional mass transport is realized due to the competition of mass transport induced by surface energy gradient of the material itself and flow of the solvent on the film surface with wettability gradient. Taking advantage of the interaction between solvent and film surface with wettability gradient, this bidirectional polymer flow has been successfully applied in multi-mode anticounterfeiting. This work paves a promising avenue toward high-level information storage in soft materials, demonstrating the potential applications in anticounterfeiting.
研究领域:
材料科学
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信息存储与安全
·
化学工程
✓ 已验证
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
·
2025
·
IF 13.2
Q.I. Ji,Congji ZHANG,Rui SONG,Muneerah Alomar,Tianze ZHANG,Yuxiang CHEN,Jiachang CUI,Shangzhen XIE,Zhiguang GUO
To meet the escalating global demand for water resources in arid regions, fog harvesting presents a promising solution especially in high-humidity regions. However, current collectors generally suffer from critical issues such as low droplet capture efficiency, difficulty in droplet retention and transportation, and poor cyclic stability. Inspired by the water-capturing abilities of bat tongues and cactus spines, a fog harvester with a folding fan structure and a spike array has been developed. These hierarchically structured surfaces, fabricated by laser etching, control wettability to capture and drive the unidirectional transport of water droplets. The spikes further allowed for the regulation of droplets to achieve transport along a Janus wettability gradient. Compared to a conventional flat aluminum sheet of the equivalent projected area, this device achieved a 403.58 % higher collection efficiency. It also exhibited remarkable cyclic stability, long-term water performance, and corrosion resistance, thereby demonstrating its potential for practical applications. This work provides an efficient strategy for sustainable fog collection.
研究领域:
环境科学
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材料科学
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仿生学
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表面工程
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可持续水资源技术
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
高影响因子
JOURNAL OF MEMBRANE SCIENCE
·
2021
·
IF 8.742
Quan Shen,Yue Jiang,Shanzhu Guo,Lin Huang,Haibo Xie,Long Li
Gradual-transition wettability gradient is a highly promising wettability profile for driving fluid directionally transport across the thickness of porous membranes. However, the fabrication of such membranes is still challenging, limiting their further application in various fields. Here, we report a one-step strategy to fabricate membranes with gradual-transition wettability gradient (GMs) by programmed in-line-blending electrospinning polymers (poly (ε-caprolactone) (PCL) and poly (ε-caprolactone-co-ethylene glycol) (PCE)) with compatible segments but obviously different wettabilities. The results demonstrate that two opposite gradual-transition wettability gradients across the thickness are successfully fabricated in GMs, and resulting GMs exhibit excellent directional liquid transport property that can only allow liquid drops and continuous flow to permeate across the thickness in the direction from the lyophobicity-rich side to the lyophilicity-rich side while blocking the permeation process in the reverse direction. Additionally, no matter under high or low gravity conditions, the directional fluid transport flux of membranes with different wettability profiles improves as the gradient layers increase from 3 to 78, corresponding to the transition of wettability profile from 3-layered Janus wettability to 78-layered gradual-transition wettability. As a result, GMs achieve much faster directional fluid transport fluxes than membranes with abrupt-change wettability gradient (AMs) and homogeneous wettability, owing to the acceleration of internal driving forces originating from the gradual-transition wettability gradient. Based on this particular property, GMs also show great potentials in ultrafast directional floating oil collection and energy-saving directional separation of oil/water mixtures, offering new insight for designing and fabricating wettability-anisotropic porous membranes with potential and versatility in multiple applications.
研究领域:
材料科学
·
表面化学
·
环境工程
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
高影响因子
CARBOHYDRATE POLYMERS
·
2025
·
IF 12.5
Yue Ma,Zihan Wu,Meijie Qu,Ru Chen,Jing Guo,Yuezhen Bin
With the increasing violent fluctuations in temperature and humidity, alongside rising fire risks triggered by global climate change, the development of multifunctional textile materials that integrate both humidity regulation and flame-retardant protection has become crucial for ensuring human health and safety. In this paper, the hydrophobic modification of calcium alginate (CA) fibers was successfully carried out by wet spinning technology combined with an impregnation modification process. After surface modification with fluorocarbon (FC) resin, the WCA of CA-FC fibers was increased from 32 ± 0.5° to 120.5 ± 1°, achieving a successful transition of natural polysaccharide fibers from hydrophilicity to hydrophobicity. Furthermore, the inherent flame-retardant properties of FC resin synergistically enhanced the flame-retardant performance of CA fibers. Leveraging the wettability gradient, a multifunctional protective fabric with both unidirectional water conductivity and flame retardancy was developed by compounding hydrophobically modified CA-FC fibers with unmodified CA fibers. The wettability gradient between the hydrophilic CA side and hydrophobic FC side provided a robust driving force for moisture transport, enabling the Janus-CA-FC (JCF) fabrics to achieve rapid unidirectional water transport while maintaining excellent flame-retardant performance. This study lays the foundation for the development of multifunctional protective fabrics with flame retardancy and humidity management based on natural polysaccharide materials.
研究领域:
纺织工程
·
高分子科学
·
消防安全工程
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材料科学
·
气候适应技术
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
·
2023
·
IF 15.1
Kaiwen Chen,Jianyi Zhu,Yujing Tan,Fengze Sun,Jian Gan,Hui Peng,Tianyi Zhan,Jianxiong Lyu
Conventional preparation of Janus membranes with asymmetric wettability focuses on the preparation of extreme hydrophilic side and hydrophobic side, but suffers from pore clogging, low liquid transfer and collection efficiency and short service life. In this study, Janus wood (JW) with a continuous wettability gradient was created throughunidirectional vacuum impregnation of a hydrophobic solvent after the delignification of wood. Digital image correlation (DIC) and layer-by-layer contact angle assessment were utilized to examine the thickness-dependent wettability gradient of the JW membrane. The JW membrane completed the modification of the cell walls without blocking the cell lumens. The presence of wettability gradient in the JW membrane effectively reduced the capillary force of liquid penetration, resulting in decreased adhesion and stagnation of liquid on the membrane surface, and increased flow rate and transport efficiency. Based on the continuous wettability change of the JW membrane, the JW membrane was endowed with the ability to act as a “unidirectional valve” to enable continuous and rapid directional transport of liquids. The mechanical properties of the JW membrane prepared by the unidirectional introduction method were significantly improved, rendering them highly stable and environmentally durable. The fog collection efficiency of the JW membrane was maintained at 97.7% over 10 repeated use cycles. For light oil/water and heavy oil/water mixtures, JW membrane maintained an efficiency of 99.6% or higher. Unlike conventional surface modification methods, the unidirectional introduction method proved practical and effective for modifying the JW membrane in the thickness direction. Furthermore, the prepared JW membrane was sustainable, inexpensive, durable, and environmentally friendly. This study provides a wide range of potential applications in fields such as droplet manipulation, multi-liquid separation, industrial wastewater purification, and microfluidics.
研究领域:
材料科学
·
环境工程
·
可持续材料
·
界面科学
·
功能材料
·
微流控技术
·
分离科学
✓ 已验证
DOI
高影响因子
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
·
2025
·
IF 13.2
Chao Duan,Yuanmei Liu,Jinyu Guo,Yan Li,Yijian Wen,Yiyang Che,Xiaoshuang Liu,Kang Yang,Yonghao Ni
Bioinspired fog harvesting materials offer a promising solution to freshwater scarcity. However, the integration of diverse biomimetic structures for ultrahigh fog harvesting collection rate remains challenging. This work presents a facile and scalable fabrication process for cellulose-based fog harvesting fiber (PSF) with multiple biomimetic features. The process involves wet spinning of cellulose and polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP), followed by dip-coating with cellulose and polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF). Selective leaching of PVP can create microgrooves on fiber surface mimicking cactus spine structure, while dip-coating forms spindle knots and wettability gradients inspired by spider silk and Nepenthes pitcher. It is hypothesized that these bioinspired features enhance Laplace pressure differentials, wettability and curvature gradients, eventually facilitating the fog harvesting collection rate in terms of fog adsorption/capture, water film formation, droplet transport and shedding. Consequently, the resultant PSF achieves an exceptional fog collection rate of 180.62 g/cm 2 /h, 47 times higher than conventional spider silk. This study offers a novel insight and a scalable model for multi-biomimetic fog harvesting systems.
研究领域:
材料科学
·
环境科学
·
高分子科学
·
仿生学
·
纳米技术
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
高影响因子
ChemistrySelect
·
2025
·Vol. 10
·期 26
·e05212
·
IF 2
Yan Jiang,Yue Sun,Jie Zhang,Hongmei Zhao,Changhai Xu,Jinmei Du,Luyue Jia,Dagang Miao
Graphical In this study, we synthesized an anionic polyacrylate water repellent and for the first time utilized it to enhance the moisture permeability in PVC/EVA membranes. The common polyvinyl chloride (PVC) gloves affect moisture and air permeability due to their dense nature, affecting the wearing comfort. Inspired by moisture-permeable fabrics, this study was conducted to enhance the moisture permeability of PVC/EVA membranes by introducing ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA) blended with PVC to form a membrane and coating one side of the membrane with a polyacrylate water repellent. The experimental results showed that the water contact angle of the upper (85°) and lower surfaces (99.4°) of the PVC/EVA membrane produced a significant difference. This difference endows the membrane with different wettability.The water vapor transmission of the membranes increased from the initial 163.25 g/m 2 ·24h to 862.9 g/m 2 ·24h. The moisture permeability and thermal conductivity of PVC/EVA membranes were significantly improved. After 30 min in the thermal conductivity test, the temperature of the palm covered with PVC/EVA membranes reached 34.7 °C, which was 0.8 °C higher than that of the palm covered with pure PVC membranes. The SEM images show that the PVC/EVA membrane generated more particles and pores. The results of XRD, TG/DTG, and tensile tests showed that the crystal structure and mechanical strength of the membranes remained unchanged, while their thermal stability improved.
研究领域:
高分子科学
·
材料工程
·
表面化学
·
热分析
·
膜技术
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
高影响因子
危险品化学品经营许可证（带存储）