1
|
Zhu Z, Xu J, Liang Y, Luo X, Chen J, Yang Z, He J, Chen Y. Bioinspired Solar-Driven Osmosis for Stable High Flux Desalination. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2024; 58:3800-3811. [PMID: 38350025 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c08848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/15/2024]
Abstract
The growing global water crisis necessitates sustainable desalination solutions. Conventional desalination technologies predominantly confront environmental issues such as high emissions from fossil-fuel-driven processes and challenges in managing brine disposal during the operational stages, emphasizing the need for renewable and environmentally friendly alternatives. This study introduces and assesses a bioinspired, solar-driven osmosis desalination device emulating the natural processes of mangroves with effective contaminant rejection and notable productivity. The bioinspired solar-driven osmosis (BISO) device, integrating osmosis membranes, microporous absorbent paper, and nanoporous ceramic membranes, was evaluated under different conditions. We conducted experiments in both controlled and outdoor settings, simulating seawater with a 3.5 wt % NaCl solution. With a water yield of 1.51 kg m-2 h-1 under standard solar conditions (one sun), the BISO system maintained excellent salt removal and accumulation resistance after up to 8 h of experiments and demonstrated great cavitation resistance even at 58.14 °C. The outdoor test recorded a peak rate of 1.22 kg m-2 h-1 and collected 16.5 mL in 8 h, showing its practical application potential. These results highlight the BISO device's capability to address water scarcity using a sustainable approach, combining bioinspired design with solar power, presenting a viable pathway in renewable-energy-driven desalination technology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zihao Zhu
- School of Materials and Energy, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Jianwei Xu
- School of Materials and Energy, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Yingzong Liang
- School of Materials and Energy, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory on Functional Soft Matter, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Xianglong Luo
- School of Materials and Energy, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory on Functional Soft Matter, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Jianyong Chen
- School of Materials and Energy, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory on Functional Soft Matter, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Zhi Yang
- School of Materials and Energy, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory on Functional Soft Matter, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Jiacheng He
- School of Materials and Energy, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory on Functional Soft Matter, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Ying Chen
- School of Materials and Energy, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory on Functional Soft Matter, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Abdelsalam MA, Sajjad M, Raza A, AlMarzooqi F, Zhang T. Sustainable biomimetic solar distillation with edge crystallization for passive salt collection and zero brine discharge. Nat Commun 2024; 15:874. [PMID: 38286989 PMCID: PMC10825211 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45108-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 01/31/2024] Open
Abstract
The urgency of addressing water scarcity and exponential population rise has necessitated the use of sustainable desalination for clean water production, while conventional thermal desalination processes consume fossil fuel with brine rejection. As a promising solution to sustainable solar thermal distillation, we report a scalable mangrove-mimicked device for direct solar vapor generation and passive salt collection without brine discharge. Capillarity-driven salty water supply and continuous vapor generation are ensured by anti-corrosion porous wicking stem and multi-layer leaves, which are made of low-cost superhydrophilic nanostructured titanium meshes. Precipitated salt at the leaf edge forms porous patch during daytime evaporation and get peeled by gravity during night when saline water rewets the leaves, and these salt patches can enhance vaporization by 1.6 times as indicated by our findings. The proposed solar vapor generator achieves a stable photothermal efficiency around 94% under one sun when treating synthetic seawater with a salinity of 3.5 wt.%. Under outdoor conditions, it can produce 2.2 L m-2 of freshwater per day from real seawater, which is sufficient for individual drinking needs. This kind of biomimetic solar distillation devices have demonstrated great capability in clean water production and passive salt collection to tackle global water and environmental challenges.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed A Abdelsalam
- Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering, Khalifa University of Science and Technology, P.O. Box 127788, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Muhammad Sajjad
- Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering, Khalifa University of Science and Technology, P.O. Box 127788, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Aikifa Raza
- Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering, Khalifa University of Science and Technology, P.O. Box 127788, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Faisal AlMarzooqi
- Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, Khalifa University of Science and Technology, P.O. Box 127788, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - TieJun Zhang
- Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering, Khalifa University of Science and Technology, P.O. Box 127788, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Zhang S, Wei X, Cao X, Peng M, Wang M, Jiang L, Jin J. Solar-driven membrane separation for direct lithium extraction from artificial salt-lake brine. Nat Commun 2024; 15:238. [PMID: 38172144 PMCID: PMC10764783 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-44625-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
The demand for lithium extraction from salt-lake brines is increasing to address the lithium supply shortage. Nanofiltration separation technology with high Mg2+/Li+ separation efficiency has shown great potential for lithium extraction. However, it usually requires diluting the brine with a large quantity of freshwater and only yields Li+-enriched solution. Inspired by the process of selective ion uptake and salt secretion in mangroves, we report here the direct extraction of lithium from salt-lake brines by utilizing the synergistic effect of ion separation membrane and solar-driven evaporator. The ion separation membrane-based solar evaporator is a multilayer structure consisting of an upper photothermal layer to evaporate water, a hydrophilic porous membrane in the middle to generate capillary pressure as the driving force for water transport, and an ultrathin ion separation membrane at the bottom to allow Li+ to pass through and block other multivalent ions. This process exhibits excellent lithium extraction capability. When treating artificial salt-lake brine with salt concentration as high as 348.4 g L-1, the Mg2+/Li+ ratio is reduced by 66 times (from 19.8 to 0.3). This research combines ion separation with solar-driven evaporation to directly obtain LiCl powder, providing an efficient and sustainable approach for lithium extraction.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shenxiang Zhang
- College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Advanced Functional Polymer Design and Application, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Suzhou Nano Science and Technology, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Advanced Negative Carbon Technologies, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Xian Wei
- College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Advanced Functional Polymer Design and Application, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Suzhou Nano Science and Technology, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Advanced Negative Carbon Technologies, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Xue Cao
- College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Advanced Functional Polymer Design and Application, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Suzhou Nano Science and Technology, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Advanced Negative Carbon Technologies, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Meiwen Peng
- Institute of Functional Nano & Soft Materials (FUNSOM), Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Carbon-Based Functional Materials & Devices, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Min Wang
- Key Laboratory of Comprehensive and Highly Efficient Utilization of Salt Lake Resources, Qinghai Institute of Salt Lakes, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, Qinghai, China
| | - Lin Jiang
- Institute of Functional Nano & Soft Materials (FUNSOM), Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Carbon-Based Functional Materials & Devices, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Jian Jin
- College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Advanced Functional Polymer Design and Application, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China.
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Suzhou Nano Science and Technology, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Advanced Negative Carbon Technologies, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Dutta S, Bieling TJ, Verbiest GJ. Evaporation induced acoustic emissions in microfluidic vessels. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2023; 10:231029. [PMID: 38094272 PMCID: PMC10716658 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.231029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024]
Abstract
Fluid flow processes such as drainage and evaporation in porous media are crucial in geological and biological systems. The motion of the displacement front of a moving fluid through multi-phase interfaces is often associated with abrupt mechanical energy release, detectable as acoustic emissions (AEs). The exact origin of these pulses and their damping mechanisms are still subjects of debate. Here, we study the characteristics of such AEs during evaporation of water from artificial microfluidic vessels, inspired by the physiology of vascular water-transport in plants. From the extracted settling times of the recorded AEs, we identify three pulse types and attribute their origins to bubble formation, snap-off events and rapid pore invasion. We also show that the resonance frequencies between 10 and 70 kHz present in specific pulse types decrease with increasing vessel radius (ranging from 0.25 to 1.0 mm) and length (ranging from 2.5 to 10.0 mm). Our findings provide insight into evaporation-induced AEs from microfluidic systems, and their potential use in non-invasive inspection or vascular health monitoring.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- S. Dutta
- Department of Precision and Microsystems Engineering, Faculty of 3ME, TU Delft, Mekelweg 2, Delft 2628CD, The Netherlands
| | - T. J. Bieling
- Department of Precision and Microsystems Engineering, Faculty of 3ME, TU Delft, Mekelweg 2, Delft 2628CD, The Netherlands
| | - G. J. Verbiest
- Department of Precision and Microsystems Engineering, Faculty of 3ME, TU Delft, Mekelweg 2, Delft 2628CD, The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Darmayanti RF, Muharja M, Widjaja A, Widiastuti N, Rachman RA, Widyanto AR, Halim A, Satrio D, Piluharto B. Performance of modified hollow fiber membrane silver nanoparticles-zeolites Na-Y/PVDF composite used in membrane bioreactor for industrial wastewater treatment. Heliyon 2023; 9:e21350. [PMID: 37885732 PMCID: PMC10598539 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e21350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2023] [Revised: 10/08/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Membrane bioreactor (MBR) deteriorates due to fouling on the membrane pores, which can reduce the membrane performance. To reduce membrane fouling, the addition of inorganic filler can enhance the antifouling properties. This study investigates two different membrane preparation by thermally induced phase separation (TIPS) and dip coating methods to modify hollow fiber membrane with Silver Nanoparticles (AgNPs)-Zeolites used in MBR for industrial wastewater treatment. Performance was evaluated by analyzing the flux of water and wastewater, rejection, water content, and antifouling properties. Characterization result represented the synthesized silver nanoparticles had similar diffraction peak with commercial AgNPs, then the micrograph of AgNPs and zeolites addition membrane showed that the inorganic material had an octahedral shape representing zeolite crystal and irregular shape representing AgNPs. The addition of zeolites and AgNPs resulted in satisfying performance, increased flux, rejection, and antifouling properties.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rizki Fitria Darmayanti
- Department of Agro-industrial Technology, Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Muhammadiyah Jember, Jalan Karimata 49, Jember, 68121, Indonesia
| | - Maktum Muharja
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Jember, Jalan Kalimantan 37, Jember, 68121, Indonesia
| | - Arief Widjaja
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember, Kampus ITS Sukolilo, Surabaya, 60111, Indonesia
| | - Nurul Widiastuti
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Data Analytics, Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember, Kampus ITS Sukolilo, Surabaya, 60111, Indonesia
| | - Rahadian Abdul Rachman
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Data Analytics, Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember, Kampus ITS Sukolilo, Surabaya, 60111, Indonesia
- Wastewater Treatment Plant, PT. Kawasan Industri Gresik, Gresik, 61121, Indonesia
| | - Alvin Rahmad Widyanto
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Data Analytics, Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember, Kampus ITS Sukolilo, Surabaya, 60111, Indonesia
| | - Abdul Halim
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Universitas Internasional Semen Indonesia, Gresik, 61122, Indonesia
| | - Dendy Satrio
- Department of Ocean Engineering, Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember, Surabaya, 60111, Indonesia
| | - Bambang Piluharto
- Biomaterial research Group, Department of Chemistry, University of Jember, Jalan Kalimantan 37, Jember, 68121, Indonesia
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Liu Y, Yu Z, Liu X, Cheng P, Zhao Y, Ma Y, Yang P, Liu K. Negative Pressure in Water for Efficient Heat Utilization and Transfer. NANO LETTERS 2023; 23:6651-6657. [PMID: 37459201 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.3c01855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/27/2023]
Abstract
Thermodynamic metastable water in negative pressure provides a possible solution to elevate the upper limit of evaporative heat transfer capacity and the efficiency of low-grade heat utilization, but practical implementations are challenging due to the difficulty in generating and maintaining large negative pressure. Herein, we report a novel structure with a hydrogel film as the evaporation surface and a permeable substrate as the functional layer to suppress cavitation. Based on the structure, we achieve an evaporation-driven flow system with negative pressure as low as -1.67 MPa. Molecular dynamics simulations elucidate the importance of strong water-polymer interactions in negative pressure generation. With the large negative pressure, we demonstrate a streaming potential generator that spontaneously converts environmental energy into electricity and outputs a voltage of 1.06 V. Moreover, we propose a "negative pressure heat pipe", which achieves a high heat transfer density of 9.6 kW cm-2 with a flow length of 1 m.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yuxi Liu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Hydrodynamic Transients, School of Power and Mechanical Engineering, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Zehua Yu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Hydrodynamic Transients, School of Power and Mechanical Engineering, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Xiaowei Liu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Hydrodynamic Transients, School of Power and Mechanical Engineering, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Peng Cheng
- MOE Key Laboratory of Hydrodynamic Transients, School of Power and Mechanical Engineering, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Yifan Zhao
- MOE Key Laboratory of Hydrodynamic Transients, School of Power and Mechanical Engineering, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Yanni Ma
- MOE Key Laboratory of Hydrodynamic Transients, School of Power and Mechanical Engineering, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Peihua Yang
- The Institute of Technological Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Kang Liu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Hydrodynamic Transients, School of Power and Mechanical Engineering, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
DuChanois RM, Mazurowski L, Fan H, Verduzco R, Nir O, Elimelech M. Precise Cation Separations with Composite Cation-Exchange Membranes: Role of Base Layer Properties. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2023; 57:6331-6341. [PMID: 37023347 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c00445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Separation of specific ions from water could enable recovery and reuse of essential metals and nutrients, but established membrane technologies lack the high-precision selectivity needed to facilitate a circular resource economy. In this work, we investigate whether the cation/cation selectivity of a composite cation-exchange membrane (CEM), or a thin polymer selective layer on top of a CEM, may be limited by the mass transfer resistance of the underlying CEM. In our analysis, we utilize a layer-by-layer technique to modify CEMs with a thin polymer selective layer (∼50 nm) that has previously shown high selectivity toward copper over similarly sized metals. While these composite membranes have a CuCl2/MgCl2 selectivity up to 33 times larger than unmodified CEMs in diffusion dialysis, our estimates suggest that eliminating resistance from the underlying CEM could further increase selectivity twofold. In contrast, the CEM base layer has a smaller effect on the selectivity of these composite membranes in electrodialysis, although these effects could become more pronounced for ultrathin or highly conductive selective layers. Our results highlight that base layer resistance prevents selectivity factors from being comparable across diffusion dialysis and electrodialysis, and CEMs with low resistance are necessary for providing highly precise separations with composite CEMs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ryan M DuChanois
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520-8286, United States
- Nanosystems Engineering Research Center for Nanotechnology-Enabled Water Treatment (NEWT), 6100 Main Street, MS 6398, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | - Lauren Mazurowski
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520-8286, United States
- Nanosystems Engineering Research Center for Nanotechnology-Enabled Water Treatment (NEWT), 6100 Main Street, MS 6398, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | - Hanqing Fan
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520-8286, United States
| | - Rafael Verduzco
- Nanosystems Engineering Research Center for Nanotechnology-Enabled Water Treatment (NEWT), 6100 Main Street, MS 6398, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Materials Science and NanoEngineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | - Oded Nir
- Department of Desalination and Water Treatment, Zuckerberg Institute for Water Research, The Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Sede-Boqer Campus, Midreshet Ben Gurion 8499000, Israel
| | - Menachem Elimelech
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520-8286, United States
- Nanosystems Engineering Research Center for Nanotechnology-Enabled Water Treatment (NEWT), 6100 Main Street, MS 6398, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
De Rosa A, McGaughey S, Magrath I, Byrt C. Molecular membrane separation: plants inspire new technologies. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2023; 238:33-54. [PMID: 36683439 DOI: 10.1111/nph.18762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2022] [Accepted: 01/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Plants draw up their surrounding soil solution to gain water and nutrients required for growth, development and reproduction. Obtaining adequate water and nutrients involves taking up both desired and undesired elements from the soil solution and separating resources from waste. Desirable and undesirable elements in the soil solution can share similar chemical properties, such as size and charge. Plants use membrane separation mechanisms to distinguish between different molecules that have similar chemical properties. Membrane separation enables distribution or retention of resources and efflux or compartmentation of waste. Plants use specialised membrane separation mechanisms to adapt to challenging soil solution compositions and distinguish between resources and waste. Coordination and regulation of these mechanisms between different tissues, cell types and subcellular membranes supports plant nutrition, environmental stress tolerance and energy management. This review considers membrane separation mechanisms in plants that contribute to specialised separation processes and highlights mechanisms of interest for engineering plants with enhanced performance in challenging conditions and for inspiring the development of novel industrial membrane separation technologies. Knowledge gained from studying plant membrane separation mechanisms can be applied to developing precision separation technologies. Separation technologies are needed for harvesting resources from industrial wastes and transitioning to a circular green economy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Annamaria De Rosa
- Division of Plant Science, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, 2601, ACT, Acton, Australia
| | - Samantha McGaughey
- Division of Plant Science, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, 2601, ACT, Acton, Australia
| | - Isobel Magrath
- Division of Plant Science, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, 2601, ACT, Acton, Australia
| | - Caitlin Byrt
- Division of Plant Science, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, 2601, ACT, Acton, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Eyegheleme NL, Umashankar V, Miller DN, Kota AK, Boreyko JB. Oil-Water Separation using Synthetic Trees. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2023; 39:2520-2528. [PMID: 36749622 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.2c02713] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Existing oil-water filtration techniques require gravity or a pump as the driving force for separation. Here, we demonstrate transpiration-powered oil-water filtration using a synthetic tree, which operates pumplessly and against gravity. From top to bottom, our synthetic tree was composed of: a nanoporous "leaf" to generate suction via evaporation, a vertical array of glass tubes serving as the tree's xylem conduits, and filters attached to the tube inlets to act as the oil-excluding roots. When placing the tree in an oil emulsion bath, filtrate samples were measured to be 97-98% pure water using gravimetry and refractometry. The spontaneous oil-water separation offered by synthetic trees could be useful for applications such as oil spill cleanup, wastewater purification, and oil extraction.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ndidi L Eyegheleme
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061, United States
| | - Viverjita Umashankar
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061, United States
| | - Danielle N Miller
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061, United States
| | - Arun K Kota
- Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695, United States
| | - Jonathan B Boreyko
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061, United States
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Lee WC, Ronghe A, Villalobos LF, Huang S, Dakhchoune M, Mensi M, Hsu KJ, Ayappa KG, Agrawal KV. Enhanced Water Evaporation from Å-Scale Graphene Nanopores. ACS NANO 2022; 16:15382-15396. [PMID: 36000823 PMCID: PMC9527801 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.2c07193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2022] [Accepted: 08/19/2022] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Enhancing the kinetics of liquid-vapor transition from nanoscale confinements is an attractive strategy for developing evaporation and separation applications. The ultimate limit of confinement for evaporation is an atom thick interface hosting angstrom-scale nanopores. Herein, using a combined experimental/computational approach, we report highly enhanced water evaporation rates when angstrom sized oxygen-functionalized graphene nanopores are placed at the liquid-vapor interface. The evaporation flux increases for the smaller nanopores with an enhancement up to 35-fold with respect to the bare liquid-vapor interface. Molecular dynamics simulations reveal that oxygen-functionalized nanopores render rapid rotational and translational dynamics to the water molecules due to a reduced and short-lived water-water hydrogen bonding. The potential of mean force (PMF) reveals that the free energy barrier for water evaporation decreases in the presence of nanopores at the atomically thin interface, which further explains the enhancement in evaporation flux. These findings can enable the development of energy-efficient technologies relying on water evaporation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wan-Chi Lee
- Laboratory
of Advanced Separations (LAS), École
Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Sion 1950, Switzerland
| | - Anshaj Ronghe
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute
of Science, Bangalore, 560012, India
| | - Luis Francisco Villalobos
- Laboratory
of Advanced Separations (LAS), École
Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Sion 1950, Switzerland
| | - Shiqi Huang
- Laboratory
of Advanced Separations (LAS), École
Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Sion 1950, Switzerland
| | - Mostapha Dakhchoune
- Laboratory
of Advanced Separations (LAS), École
Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Sion 1950, Switzerland
| | - Mounir Mensi
- Institut
des Sciences et Ingénierie Chimiques (ISIC), EPFL, Sion 1950, Switzerland
| | - Kuang-Jung Hsu
- Laboratory
of Advanced Separations (LAS), École
Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Sion 1950, Switzerland
| | - K. Ganapathy Ayappa
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute
of Science, Bangalore, 560012, India
| | - Kumar Varoon Agrawal
- Laboratory
of Advanced Separations (LAS), École
Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Sion 1950, Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Mahdhi N, Alsaiari NS, Amari A, Chakhoum MA. Effect of TiO 2 Nanoparticles on Capillary-Driven Flow in Water Nanofilters Based on Chitosan Cellulose and Polyvinylidene Fluoride Nanocomposites: A Theoretical Study. Polymers (Basel) 2022; 14:polym14142908. [PMID: 35890682 PMCID: PMC9320925 DOI: 10.3390/polym14142908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2022] [Revised: 07/08/2022] [Accepted: 07/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
In this study, a novel concept of nanofiltration process of drinking water based on capillary-driven nanofiltration is demonstrated using a bio-based nanocomposites’ nanofilter as free power: a green and sustainable solution. Based on Lifshitz and Young–Laplace theories, we show that the chitosan (CS), cellulose acetate (CLA), and Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) polymer matrixes demonstrate hydrophobic behavior, which leads to the draining of water from nanopores when negative capillary pressure is applied and consequently prevents the capillary-driven nanofiltration process. By incorporating 10%, 20%, and 30% volume fraction of titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles (NPs) to the polymers’ matrixes, we demonstrate a wetting conversion from hydrophobic to hydrophilic behavior of these polymer nanocomposites. Subsequently, the threshold volume fraction of the TiO2 NPs for the conversion from draining (hydrophobic) to filling (hydrophilic) by capillary pressure were found to be equal to 5.1%, 10.9%, and 13.9%, respectively, for CS/TiO2, CLA/TiO2, and PVDF/TiO2 nanocomposites. Then, we demonstrated the negligible effect of the gravity force on capillary rise as well as the capillary-driven flow for nanoscale pore size. For nanofilters with the same effective nanopore radius, porosity, pore shape factor, and tortuosity, results from the modified Lucas–Washburn model show that the capillary rise as well as the capillary-driven water volume increase with increased volume fraction of the TiO2 NPs for all nanocomposite nanofilter. Interestingly, the capillary-driven water volume was in range (5.26–6.39) L/h·m2 with 30% volume fraction of TiO2 NPs, which support our idea for capillary-driven nanofiltration as zero energy consumption nano-filtration process. Correspondingly, the biodegradable CS/TiO2 and CLA/TiO2 nanocomposites nanofilter demonstrate capillary-driven water volume higher, ~1.5 and ~1.2 times, respectively, more than the synthetic PVDF/TiO2 nanocomposite.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Noureddine Mahdhi
- Laboratory Materials Organizations and Properties, Tunis El Manar University, Tunis 2092, Tunisia
- Correspondence: (N.M.); (A.A.)
| | - Norah Salem Alsaiari
- Department of Chemistry, College of Science, Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh 11671, Saudi Arabia;
| | - Abdelfattah Amari
- Department of Chemical Engineering, College of Engineering, King Khalid University, Abha 61411, Saudi Arabia
- Research Laboratory of Processes, Energetics, Environment and Electrical Systems, National School of Engineers, Gabes University, Gabes 6072, Tunisia
- Correspondence: (N.M.); (A.A.)
| | - Mohamed Ali Chakhoum
- Laboratoire des Sciences de la Matière Condensée (LSMC), Université Oran 1 Ahmed Ben Bella, Oran 31100, Algeria;
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Wang Z, Li Y, Gong S, Li W, Duan H, Cheng P, Chen Y, Dong Z. Three-Dimensional Open Water Microchannel Transpiration Mimetics. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2022; 14:30435-30442. [PMID: 35736861 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.2c09165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The key problem that hinders the water transportation performance and application of microchannels is the annoying gaslock. Realizing liquid transport without the gaslock requires a specially designed pump and a channel system, as well as the reduction of gas concentration in liquids. In nature, to eat viscous nectar with high efficiency, hummingbirds use their open geometric tongue for nectar-sucking. Inspired by hummingbirds' tongue, we report a bionic open microchannel that discharges unwanted gas inside the microchannel from the opening without influencing its fluidic performance. The opening can also be used for extrusion of oil droplets in microchannels, indicating great potential applications in oil-water separation and chemical slow release, especially for bubble discharge in microchannels. Most significantly, a mimicked "leaf" with our bionic open microchannnels exhibits marvelous "transpiration" performance when irradiated by a laser. Our work provides a new strategy for the fabrication of open microchannels and sheds light on potential applications of multiphase phenomena in microchannels including oil-water separation, phase change heat and mass transfer, solar vapor generation, and precisely controllable drug delivery.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhaolong Wang
- College of Mechanical and Vehicle Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, P. R. China
| | - Yingying Li
- College of Mechanical and Vehicle Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, P. R. China
| | - Shuai Gong
- MOE Key Laboratory for Power Machinery and Engineering, School of Mechanical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, P. R. China
| | - Wenhao Li
- College of Mechanical and Vehicle Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, P. R. China
| | - Huigao Duan
- College of Mechanical and Vehicle Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, P. R. China
| | - Ping Cheng
- MOE Key Laboratory for Power Machinery and Engineering, School of Mechanical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, P. R. China
| | - Yongping Chen
- Key Laboratory of Energy Thermal Conversion and Control of Ministry of Education, School of Energy and Environment, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, P. R. China
| | - Zhichao Dong
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Bio-inspired Materials and Interface Sciences, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, P. R. China
- Future Technology College, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, P. R. China
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Xu S, Liu X, Yu Z, Liu K. Non-contact optical characterization of negative pressure in hydrogel voids and microchannels. FRONTIERS OF OPTOELECTRONICS 2022; 15:10. [PMID: 36637525 PMCID: PMC9756264 DOI: 10.1007/s12200-022-00016-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2021] [Accepted: 11/24/2021] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Negative pressure in water under tension, as a thermodynamic non-equilibrium state, has facilitated the emergence of innovative technologies on microfluidics, desalination, and thermal management. However, the lack of a simple and accurate method to measure negative pressure hinders further in-depth understanding of the properties of water in such a state. In this work, we propose a non-contact optical method to quantify the negative pressure in micron-sized water voids of a hydrogel film based on the microscale mechanical deformation of the hydrogel itself. We tested three groups of hydrogel samples with different negative pressure inside, and the obtained results fit well with the theoretical prediction. Furthermore, we demonstrated that this method can characterize the distribution of negative pressure, and can thus provide the possibility of investigation of the flow behavior of water in negative pressure. These results prove this technique to be a promising approach to characterization of water under tension and for investigation of its properties under negative pressure.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shihao Xu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Hydrodynamic Transients, School of Power and Mechanical Engineering, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Xiaowei Liu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Hydrodynamic Transients, School of Power and Mechanical Engineering, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Zehua Yu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Hydrodynamic Transients, School of Power and Mechanical Engineering, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Kang Liu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Hydrodynamic Transients, School of Power and Mechanical Engineering, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China.
- Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430074, China.
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Hung CT, Duan L, Zhao T, Liu L, Xia Y, Liu Y, Qiu P, Wang R, Zhao Z, Li W, Zhao D. Gradient Hierarchically Porous Structure for Rapid Capillary-Assisted Catalysis. J Am Chem Soc 2022; 144:6091-6099. [PMID: 35316600 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.2c01444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Synthesis of hierarchically porous structures with uniform spatial gradient and structure reinforcement effect still remains a great challenge. Herein, we report the synthesis of zeolite@mesoporous silica core-shell nanospheres (ZeoA@MesoS) with a gradient porous structure through a micellar dynamic assembly strategy. In this case, we find that the size of composite micelles can be dynamically changed with the increase of swelling agents, which in situ act as the building blocks for the modular assembly of gradient mesostructures. The ZeoA@MesoS nanospheres are highly dispersed in solvents with uniform micropores in the inner core and a gradient tubular mesopore shell. As a nanoreactor, such hierarchically gradient porous structures enable the capillary-directed fast mass transfer from the solutions to inner active sites. As a result, the ZeoA@MesoS catalysts deliver a fabulous catalytic yield of ∼75% on the esterification of long-chain carboxylic palmitic acids and high stability even toward water interference, which can be well trapped by the ZeoA core, pushing forward the chemical equilibrium. Moreover, a very remarkable catalytic conversion on the C-H arylation reaction of large N-methylindole is achieved (∼98%) by a Pd-immobilized ZeoA@MesoS catalyst. The water tolerance feature gives a notable enhancement of 26% in catalytic yield compared to the Pd-dendritic mesoporous silica without the zeolite core.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chin-Te Hung
- Department of Chemistry, Laboratory of Advanced Materials, Shanghai Key Lab of Molecular Catalysis and Innovative Materials, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, P. R. China
| | - Linlin Duan
- Department of Chemistry, Laboratory of Advanced Materials, Shanghai Key Lab of Molecular Catalysis and Innovative Materials, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, P. R. China
| | - Tiancong Zhao
- Department of Chemistry, Laboratory of Advanced Materials, Shanghai Key Lab of Molecular Catalysis and Innovative Materials, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, P. R. China
| | - Liangliang Liu
- Department of Chemistry, Laboratory of Advanced Materials, Shanghai Key Lab of Molecular Catalysis and Innovative Materials, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, P. R. China
| | - Yuan Xia
- Department of Chemistry, Laboratory of Advanced Materials, Shanghai Key Lab of Molecular Catalysis and Innovative Materials, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, P. R. China
| | - Yupu Liu
- Department of Chemistry, Laboratory of Advanced Materials, Shanghai Key Lab of Molecular Catalysis and Innovative Materials, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, P. R. China
| | - Pengpeng Qiu
- Department of Chemistry, Laboratory of Advanced Materials, Shanghai Key Lab of Molecular Catalysis and Innovative Materials, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, P. R. China
| | - Ruicong Wang
- Department of Chemistry, Laboratory of Advanced Materials, Shanghai Key Lab of Molecular Catalysis and Innovative Materials, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, P. R. China
| | - Zaiwang Zhao
- Department of Chemistry, Laboratory of Advanced Materials, Shanghai Key Lab of Molecular Catalysis and Innovative Materials, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, P. R. China
| | - Wei Li
- Department of Chemistry, Laboratory of Advanced Materials, Shanghai Key Lab of Molecular Catalysis and Innovative Materials, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, P. R. China
| | - Dongyuan Zhao
- Department of Chemistry, Laboratory of Advanced Materials, Shanghai Key Lab of Molecular Catalysis and Innovative Materials, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, P. R. China
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Cornish GA, Eyegheleme NL, Hudson LS, Troy KJ, Vollen MM, Boreyko JB. Transpiration-powered desalination water bottle. SOFT MATTER 2022; 18:1287-1293. [PMID: 35048942 DOI: 10.1039/d1sm01470f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Inspired by mangrove trees, we present a theoretical design and analysis of a portable desalinating water bottle powered by transpiration. The bottle includes an annular fin for absorbing solar heat, which is used to boost the evaporation rate of water from the interior synthetic leaf. This synthetic leaf comprises a nanoporous film deposited atop a supporting micromesh. Water evaporating from the leaf generates a highly negative Laplace pressure, which pulls the overlying source water across an upstream reverse osmosis membrane. Evaporated water is re-condensed in the bottom of the bottle for collection. The benefit of our hybrid approach to desalination is that reverse osmosis is spontaneously enabled by transpiration, while the thermal evaporation process is enhanced by heat localization and made more durable by pre-filtering the salt. We estimate that a 9.4 cm diameter bottle, with a 10 cm wide annular fin, could harvest about a liter of fresh water per day from ocean water.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Ndidi L Eyegheleme
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA.
| | | | | | - Maia M Vollen
- George Mason High School, Falls Church, VA 22046, USA
| | - Jonathan B Boreyko
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Zheng S, Yang M, Chen X, White CE, Hu L, Ren ZJ. Upscaling 3D Engineered Trees for Off-Grid Desalination. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2022; 56:1289-1299. [PMID: 34982541 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.1c05777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
More than 70% of the population without access to safe drinking water lives in remote and off-grid areas. Inspired by natural plant transpiration, we designed and tested in this study an array of scalable three-dimensional (3D) engineered trees made of natural wood for continuous water desalination to provide affordable and clean drinking water. The trees took advantage of capillary action in the wood xylems and lifted water more than 1 foot off the ground with or without solar irradiation. This process overcame some major challenges of popular solar-driven water evaporation and water harvesting, such as intermittent operation, low water production rate, and system scaling. The trade-off between energy transfer and system footprint was tackled by optimizing the interspacing between the trees. The scaled system has a ratio of surface area (vapor generation) to project area (water transport) up to 118, significantly higher than the prevailing flat-sheet design. The extensive surface area evaporated water at a temperature cooler than the surrounding air, drawing on multiple environmental energy sources including solar, wind, or ambient heat in the air and realized continuous operation. The total energy for evaporation reached over 300% of the one-sun irradiance, enabling a freshwater production rate of 4.8 L m-2 h-1 from an array of 16 trees in an enclosed room and 14 L m-2 h-1 under a 3 m/s airflow. Furthermore, we found that the ambient heat in the air contributed 60%-70% of the total latent heat of vaporization when energy sources were decoupled. During long-term desalination tests, the engineered trees demonstrated a self-cleaning mechanism with daily cycles of salt accumulation and dissolution. Combining the quantification from an evaporation model and meteorology data covering the globe, we also demonstrated that the 3D engineered trees can be of particular interest for sustainable desalination in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) regions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sunxiang Zheng
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, United States
| | - Meiqi Yang
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, United States
| | - Xi Chen
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, United States
| | - Claire E White
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, United States
| | - Liangbing Hu
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, United States
| | - Zhiyong Jason Ren
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, United States
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Huang Z, Wei J, Wan Y, Li P, Yu J, Dong J, Wang S, Li S, Lee CS. Aligned Millineedle Arrays for Solar Power Seawater Desalination with Site-Specific Salt Formation. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2021; 17:e2101487. [PMID: 34151518 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202101487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2021] [Revised: 04/23/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
As a sustainable and clean water production technology, solar thermal water evaporation has been extensively studied in the past few years. One challenge is that upon operation, salt would form on surface of the solar absorbers leading to inefficient water supply and light absorption and thus much reduced water vaporization rate. To address this problem, a simple solar evaporator based on an array of aligned millineedles for efficient solar water evaporation and controlled site-specific salt formation is demonstrated. The maximum solar evaporation rate achieved is 2.94 kg m-2 h-1 under one Sun irradiation in brine of high salinity (25 wt% NaCl), achieving energy conversion efficiency of 94.5% simultaneously. More importantly, the spontaneously site-specific salt formation on the tips of millineedles endows this solar evaporator with salt harvesting capacity. Rationally separating the clean water and salt from brine by condensation and gravity assistance, this tip-preferential crystallization solar evaporator is not affected by the salt clogging compared with conventional 2D solar evaporators. This study provides new insights on the design of solar evaporators and advances their applications in sustainable seawater desalination and wastewater management.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhongming Huang
- Center of Super-Diamond and Advanced Films (COSDAF) and Department of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, 999077, P. R. China
| | - Jinchao Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macau, China
| | - Yingpeng Wan
- Center of Super-Diamond and Advanced Films (COSDAF) and Department of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, 999077, P. R. China
| | - Peng Li
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macau, China
| | - Jie Yu
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, P. R. China
| | - Jiayi Dong
- Joint Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education, Institute of Applied Physics and Materials Engineering, University of Macau, Macau, China
| | - Shuangpeng Wang
- Joint Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education, Institute of Applied Physics and Materials Engineering, University of Macau, Macau, China
| | - Shengliang Li
- Center of Super-Diamond and Advanced Films (COSDAF) and Department of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, 999077, P. R. China
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, P. R. China
| | - Chun-Sing Lee
- Center of Super-Diamond and Advanced Films (COSDAF) and Department of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, 999077, P. R. China
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Shool L, Butenko AV, Liber SR, Rabin Y, Sloutskin E. Anomalous Temperature-Controlled Concave-Convex Switching of Curved Oil-Water Menisci. J Phys Chem Lett 2021; 12:6834-6839. [PMID: 34279944 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.1c01937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
While the curvature of the classical liquid surfaces exhibits only a weak temperature dependence, we demonstrate here a reversible temperature-tunable concave-convex shape switching in capillary-contained, surfactant-decorated, oil-water interfaces. The observed switching gives rise to a concave-convex shape transition, which takes place as a function of the width of the containing capillary. This apparent violation of Young's equation results from a hitherto-unreported sharp reversible hydrophobic-hydrophilic transition of the glass capillary walls. The transition is driven by the interfacial freezing effect, which controls the balance between the competing surfactants' adsorption on, and consequent hydrophobization of, the capillary walls and their incorporation into the interfacially frozen monolayer. Since capillary wetting by surfactant solutions is fundamental for a wide range of technologies and natural phenomena, the present observations have important implications in many fields, from fluid engineering to biology, and beyond.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lee Shool
- Physics Department & Institute of Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan 5290002, Israel
| | - Alexander V Butenko
- Physics Department & Institute of Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan 5290002, Israel
| | - Shir R Liber
- Physics Department & Institute of Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan 5290002, Israel
| | - Yitzhak Rabin
- Physics Department & Institute of Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan 5290002, Israel
| | - Eli Sloutskin
- Physics Department & Institute of Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan 5290002, Israel
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Perspectives and design considerations of capillary-driven artificial trees for fast dewatering processes. Sci Rep 2021; 11:8631. [PMID: 33883623 PMCID: PMC8060284 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-88006-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2020] [Accepted: 04/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent progresses on nanocapillary-driven water transport under metastable conditions have substantiated the potential of artificial trees for dewatering applications in a wide pressure range. This paper presents a comprehensive performance analysis of artificial trees encompassing the principle for negative capillary pressure generation; impacts of structural, compositional, and environmental conditions on dewatering performance; and design considerations. It begins by delineating functionalities of artificial trees for evaporation (leaves), conduction (xylem), and filtration (root) of water, in the analogy to natural trees. The analysis revealed that the magnitude of (negative) capillary pressure in the artificial leaves and xylem must be sufficiently large to overcome the osmotic pressure of feed at the root. The required magnitude can be reduced by increasing the osmotic pressure in the artificial xylem conduits, which reduces the risk of cavitation and subsequent blockage of water transport. However, a severe concentration polarization that can occur in long xylem conduits would negate such compensation effect of xylem osmotic pressure, leading to vapor pressure depression at the artificial leaves and therefore reduced dewatering rates. Enhanced Taylor dispersions by increasing xylem conduit diameters are found to alleviate the concentration polarization, allowing for water flux enhancement directly by increasing leaf-to-root membrane area ratio.
Collapse
|
20
|
Abstract
A nature-inspired solution (NIS) methodology is proposed as a systematic platform for innovation and to inform transformative technology required to address Grand Challenges, including sustainable development. Scalability, efficiency, and resilience are essential to nature, as they are to engineering processes. They are achieved through underpinning fundamental mechanisms, which are grouped as recurring themes in the NIS approach: hierarchical transport networks, force balancing, dynamic self-organization, and ecosystem properties. To leverage these universal mechanisms, and incorporate them effectively into engineering design, adaptations may be needed to accommodate the different contexts of nature and engineering applications. Nature-inspired chemical engineering takes advantage of the NIS methodology for process intensification, as demonstrated here in fluidization, catalysis, fuel cell engineering, and membrane separations, where much higher performance is achieved by rigorously employing concepts optimized in nature. The same approach lends itself to other applications, from biomedical engineering to information technology and architecture.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marc-Olivier Coppens
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Centre for Nature-Inspired Engineering, University College London, London WC1E 7JE, United Kingdom;
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Kim Y, Gupta P, Kim K. Controlling the Multiscale Topography of Anodized Aluminum Oxide Nanowire Structures for Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering and Perfect Absorbers. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2020; 12:58390-58402. [PMID: 33337134 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.0c18138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
In this study, a plasmonically active substrate is developed with the aim of controlling the perfect absorption and manipulating its optical properties for application in SERS (in NIR regime) and colorimetry. Based on modified fabrication method of anodized aluminum oxide (AAO), the cost-effective self-aggregation technique is presented to fabricate unique topography of bone-fire-like funnel-shaped collapsed and vertically aligned nanowire structures. The length of the nanowire and the modification of surface topography induced by capillary force inside the nanowire are set to structural parameters, and the effect of their changes is closely studied. After deposition of 40 nm gold (Au) film on numerous AAO nanowire structures with different wire lengths and unique topography, the localized surface plasmon resonance excitation is generated, and also its application on reflection and SERS spectra have been shown quantitatively. The length of the wire and surface topography modification are identified as suitable parameters to tune the reflection/absorption (from <40 to >90%) as well as colorimetric effect. Finally, an optimized wire length of Au-coated AAO substrate in SERS sensing application with 3.92 × 105 order of enhancement of rhodamine 6G (R6G) Raman signal is demonstrated.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yeonhong Kim
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Yonsei University, 50 Yonsei-ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea
| | - Prince Gupta
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Yonsei University, 50 Yonsei-ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea
- NanoSYD, Mads Clausen Institute, University of Southern Denmark, Alsion 2, Sønderborg 6400, Denmark
| | - Kyoungsik Kim
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Yonsei University, 50 Yonsei-ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Nazari M, Davoodabadi A, Huang D, Luo T, Ghasemi H. Transport Phenomena in Nano/Molecular Confinements. ACS NANO 2020; 14:16348-16391. [PMID: 33253531 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.0c07372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The transport of fluid and ions in nano/molecular confinements is the governing physics of a myriad of embodiments in nature and technology including human physiology, plants, energy modules, water collection and treatment systems, chemical processes, materials synthesis, and medicine. At nano/molecular scales, the confinement dimension approaches the molecular size and the transport characteristics deviates significantly from that at macro/micro scales. A thorough understanding of physics of transport at these scales and associated fluid properties is undoubtedly critical for future technologies. This compressive review provides an elaborate picture on the promising future applications of nano/molecular transport, highlights experimental and simulation metrologies to probe and comprehend this transport phenomenon, discusses the physics of fluid transport, tunable flow by orders of magnitude, and gating mechanisms at these scales, and lists the advancement in the fabrication methodologies to turn these transport concepts into reality. Properties such as chain-like liquid transport, confined gas transport, surface charge-driven ion transport, physical/chemical ion gates, and ion diodes will provide avenues to devise technologies with enhanced performance inaccessible through macro/micro systems. This review aims to provide a consolidated body of knowledge to accelerate innovation and breakthrough in the above fields.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Masoumeh Nazari
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Houston, 4726 Calhoun Road, Houston, Texas 77204, United States
| | - Ali Davoodabadi
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Houston, 4726 Calhoun Road, Houston, Texas 77204, United States
| | - Dezhao Huang
- Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556, United States
| | - Tengfei Luo
- Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556, United States
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556, United States
| | - Hadi Ghasemi
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Houston, 4726 Calhoun Road, Houston, Texas 77204, United States
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Min X, Kim WS. Artificial Xylem Chip: A Three-Dimensionally Printed Vertical Digital Microfluidic Platform. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2020; 36:14841-14848. [PMID: 33249834 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.0c02868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Digital microfluidics (DMF) is a promising lab-on-a-chip technology which has been applied in a wide variety of fields, including chemical sensing, biological detection, and even mechanical transportation. However, the appearance and functions of current DMF have been limited within two-dimensional planar space because of the conventional fabrication methods, such as photolithography or screen printing. In this paper, we report a DMF system which utilizes the advantage of three-dimensional (3D) printing to develop the novel form factor of electrodes and conversion of channels from planar to 3D forms. Vertical channels have been fabricated through combined 3D printing methods to facilitate stable and controlled movement of water droplets. The interfaces among liquid, gas, and solid were analyzed through Young-Lippmann law. We calculated the actuation force in a series of different configurations to enable us to optimize the system. Inspired by xylem structures in plants, the vertical movement and pumping of droplets are demonstrated by a programmable control system with a built-in boost converter for a real-time operating and portable DMF system. This work validates the promise of 3D printing to make 3D vertical DMF devices and the potential of the artificial xylem chip for micropumping applications.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xin Min
- Additive Manufacturing Laboratory, School of Mechatronic Systems Engineering, Simon Fraser University, Surrey, British Columbia V3T 0A3, Canada
| | - Woo Soo Kim
- Additive Manufacturing Laboratory, School of Mechatronic Systems Engineering, Simon Fraser University, Surrey, British Columbia V3T 0A3, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Li H, Raza A, Ge Q, Lu JY, Zhang T. Empowering microfluidics by micro-3D printing and solution-based mineral coating. SOFT MATTER 2020; 16:6841-6849. [PMID: 32638816 DOI: 10.1039/d0sm00958j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Fluid-solid interaction in porous materials is of tremendous importance to earth, space, energy, environment, biological, and medical applications. High-resolution 3D printing enables efficient fabrication of porous microfluidic devices with complicated pore-throat morphology, but lacking desired surface functionality. In this work, we propose a novel approach to additively fabricate functional porous devices by integrating micro-3D printing and solution-based internal coating. This approach is successfully applied to create energy/environment-orientated porous micromodels that replicate the μCT-captured porous geometry and natural mineralogy of carbonate rock. The functional mineral coating in a 3D-printed porous scaffold is achieved by seeding calcite nanoparticles along the inner surface and enabling in situ growth of calcite crystals. For conformal and stable coating in confined pore spaces, we manage to control the wetting and capillarity effects during fabrication: (i) capillarity-enhanced nanoparticle immobilization for forming an adhered seeding layer; (ii) capillary pore-throat blockage mitigation for uniform crystal growth. These transparent micromodels are then used to directly image and characterize microscopic fluid dynamics including wettability-dependent fluid propagation and capillarity-held phase transition processes. The proposed approach can be readily tailored with on-demand-designed scaffold geometry and appropriate coating recipe to fit in many other emerging applications.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hongxia Li
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Masdar Institute, Khalifa University of Science and Technology, P. O. Box 54224, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
| | - Aikifa Raza
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Masdar Institute, Khalifa University of Science and Technology, P. O. Box 54224, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
| | - Qiaoyu Ge
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Masdar Institute, Khalifa University of Science and Technology, P. O. Box 54224, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
| | - Jin-You Lu
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Masdar Institute, Khalifa University of Science and Technology, P. O. Box 54224, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
| | - TieJun Zhang
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Masdar Institute, Khalifa University of Science and Technology, P. O. Box 54224, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Nazari M, Davoodabadi A, Huang D, Luo T, Ghasemi H. On interfacial viscosity in nanochannels. NANOSCALE 2020; 12:14626-14635. [PMID: 32614001 DOI: 10.1039/d0nr02294b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Capillary driven transport of liquids in nanoscopic channels is an omnipresent phenomenon in nature and technology including fluid flow in the human body and plants, drug delivery, nanofluidic devices, and energy/water systems. However, the kinetics of this mass transport mechanism remains in question as the well-known Lucas-Washburn (LW) model predicts significantly faster flow rates compared to the experimental observations. We here showed the role of interfacial viscosity in capillary motion slowdown in nanochannels through a combination of experimental, analytical and molecular dynamics techniques. We showed that the slower liquid flow is due to the formation of a thin liquid layer adjacent to the channel walls with a viscosity substantially greater than the bulk liquid. By incorporating the effect of the interfacial layer, we presented a theoretical model that accurately predicts the capillarity kinetics in nanochannels of different heights. Non-equilibrium molecular dynamics simulation confirmed the obtained interfacial viscosities. The viscosities of isopropanol and ethanol within the interfacial layer were 9.048 mPa s and 4.405 mPa s, respectively (i.e. 279% and 276% greater than their bulk values). We also showed that the interfacial layers are 6.4 nm- and 5.3 nm-thick for isopropanol and ethanol, respectively.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Masoumeh Nazari
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Houston, 4726 Calhoun Rd, Houston, Texas 77204, USA.
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|