An efficient Fog-harvesting hybrid Super-Wettable surface using imprinted MoS2 nanoflowers

• Published in: Applied surface science Vol. 626; p. 157208
• Main Authors: Chen, Mingchuang, WU, Zhongjue, Wu, Jinlei, Tang, Jie, Yang, Zhiyuan, Zheng, Xu, Chen, Zexin, Cai, Wanzhu, Zheng, Feipeng, Shi, Jifu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 30.07.2023
• Subjects: Fog-harvesting; Imprint; MoS2; Water collection efficiency; Water collection efficiency; MoS2; Fog-harvesting; Imprint
• ISSN: 0169-4332; 1873-5584
• DOI: 10.1016/j.apsusc.2023.157208

[Display omitted] •We present a convenient and cost-effective method to fabricate hybrid super-wettable surface for fog harvesting using imprinted MoS2.•By properly engineering the heterogeneous MoS2 compositions and blending ratio, the water collection rate enjoys an over 90% enhancement compared with pure MoS2.•Our work provides a new strategy for the construction of hybrid super-wettable surfaces, and further extend the functionals of MoS2 in the fog-harvesting applications. Our method can also be applied to the materials with similar properties to the MoS2, such as WS2, WSe2, and MoSe2. Bio-inspired hybrid super-wettable surface (HSWS) has become a major focus in fog-harvesting research. Here, we present a convenient and cost-effective method for fabricating HSWS using imprinted MoS2. MoS2 nanoflowers are imprinted with amino acid and octadecane, which endow them with hydrophilic and hydrophobic properties, respectively. By properly engineering the heterogeneous MoS2 compositions and blending ratio, the water collection efficiency factor (η) of HSWS performs much better than that based on homogeneous MoS2. The η of 20% is achieved using the optimal proportion (6:4) of hydrophobic and hydrophilic MoS2, which is doubled compared with pure MoS2 sample (10%), owning to synergy effect of optimized fog-capture and water transport processes during fog harvesting. These HSWSs are also highly reusable. HSWS based on imprinted MoS2 is a promising candidate for commercial application due to its ease of fabrication, low cost, and excellent cyclic stability.