Bioinspired 1D structures for water harvesting: Theory, design and application

Abstract

The scarcity of water represents a significant challenge confronting the global community. One of the viable strategies to mitigate the water crisis involves the extraction of moisture from the atmosphere via bionics techniques. Within this domain, the emulation of one-dimensional (1D) biological structures, such as fibers inspired by the principles of spider silk or other organisms, emerges as a pivotal approach within the field of bionics. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the water harvesting mechanisms inherent to bioinspired 1D structures, examining the factors that influence droplet capture, dropwise condensation, droplet transport, and removal. Furthermore, it summarizes the primary water harvesting processes of bionic 1D structures and delineates methods to enhance the efficiency of water collection. Subsequent sections of this paper explore the water collection performance and structural optimization of various artificial 1D structures. In conclusion, the paper encapsulates the applications of bioinspired 1D structures, proposing directions for improvement and future developmental prospects.