Biomimetic multi-functional 3D fog collector: Independent of fog flow direction

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.