Three-Dimensionally Structured Flexible Fog Harvesting Surfaces Inspired by Namib Desert Beetles

Abstract

Fog harvesting of the Namib desert beetles has inspired many researchers to design artificial fog harvesting hybrid surfaces, which commonly involve flat hydrophilic patterns on hydrophobic surfaces. However, relatively less interest has been shown in the bumpy topography of the Namib desert beetle’s dorsal surface as well as its curved body shape when designing artificial hybrid surfaces. In this work, we explore a fog harvesting flexible hybrid surface that has a superhydrophilic 3D copper oxide pattern on a hydrophobic rough elastomer background surface enabled by transferring a copper layer from a prepared donor substrate to a receiving elastomer substrate. The water collection rates of the hybrid surface and control samples are measured, and the results reveal the advantages of 3D bumpy structures on a curved shape surface to facilitate fog harvesting, particularly in more unfavorable fog stream conditions. The curved 3D bumpy hybrid surface exhibits an over 16 times higher water collection rate than the flat 2D hybrid surface in the fog stream in parallel to the hybrid surface. This work provides an improved understanding of the role of the Namib desert beetle’s bumpy dorsal surface and curved body shape, and offers an insight into the design of novel surfaces with enhanced fog harvesting performance.