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

Abstract

The global water supply worsens yearly with climate change; therefore, the need for sustainable water resources is growing. One of them is fog water collectors with variable surface wettability, with multifunctional designs for utilization worldwide and to address regions with low humidity levels. Therefore, we created fiber meshes with a photoresponsive switchable surface. This study uses electrospun polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) meshes, whose wettability is controlled by adding $TiO_{2}$. The fog water collection performance is studied at high and low humidity levels. With $TiO_{2}-PVDF$, the electrospun mesh can be converted from hydrophobic to hydrophilic under UV irradiation and transformed back to a hydrophobic state with heat treatment. The switchable meshes were found to be more effective at water collection after UV irradiation at lower fog rates of 200 $mL·h^{–1}$. The ability to switch between hydrophobic and hydrophilic properties as needed is highly desired in fog collection applications using electrospun meshes, as it can improve overall efficiency after UV irradiation.