Photoresponsive Electrospun Fiber Meshes with Switchable Wettability for Effective Fog Water Harvesting in Variable Humidity Conditions

• DOI: 10.1021/acsami.3c07044
• Publication Date: 2023-08-09T21:27:13Z
• Authors: Gregory Parisi; Piotr K. Szewczyk; Shankar Narayan; Urszula Stachewicz
• Keywords: Polyvinylidene fluoride; Electrospinning

The global water supply worsens yearly with climate change; therefore, the need for sustainable resources is growing. One of them fog collectors variable surface wettability, multifunctional designs utilization worldwide and to address regions low humidity levels. Therefore, we created fiber meshes a photoresponsive switchable surface. This study uses electrospun polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) meshes, whose wettability controlled by adding TiO2. collection performance studied at high With TiO2-PVDF, mesh can be converted from hydrophobic hydrophilic under UV irradiation transformed back state heat treatment. were found more effective after lower rates 200 mL·h-1. ability switch between properties as needed highly desired in applications using it improve overall efficiency irradiation.