A team of researchers from Jilin University, NYU Abu Dhabi’s Smart Materials Lab, and the Center for Smart Engineering Materials, led by Professor of Chemistry Pance Naumov, has developed a new crystalline material that can harvest water from fog without any energy input.
This innovative type of smart crystal, Janus crystals, is inspired by desert plants and animals that thrive in arid conditions.
For instance, desert beetles and lizards have evolved surface structures with hydrophilic (water-attracting) and hydrophobic (water-repelling) areas, effectively capturing moisture from the air.
Water is attracted to the hydrophilic areas and is then accumulated and transported through the hydrophobic regions.
Professor Naumov explained, “The crystals developed by our team not only take advantage of the mechanical flexibility and optical transparency of organic crystals, but they also pave the way for designing active, self-sensing, and efficient surface-active harvesters. When employed on a larger scale, these materials could help combat water scarcity on a societal level.”
The research findings are detailed in the paper titled “Efficient Aerial Water Harvesting with Self-Sensing Dynamic Janus Crystals,” recently published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.
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