Super hygroscopic nanofibrous membrane-based moisture pump for solar-driven indoor dehumidification

Abstract

Desiccants play vital roles in dehumidification and atmospheric water harvesting; however, current desiccants have mediocre hygroscopicity, limited recyclability, and high energy consumption. Herein, we report a wood-inspired moisture pump based on electrospun nanofibrous membrane for solar-driven continuous indoor dehumidification. The developed moisture pump with multilayer wood-like cellular networks and interconnected open channels is composed of a desiccant layer and a photothermal layer. The desiccant layer exhibits an unprecedented moisture absorption capacity of 3.01 g g −1 at 90% relative humidity (RH), fast moisture absorption and transport rates, enabling atmospheric water harvesting. The photothermal layer shows a high solar absorption of 93%, efficient solar thermal conversion, and good moisture permeability, thus promoting water evaporation. The moisture pump efficiently reduces the indoor relative humidity to a comfort level (40-60% RH) under onesun illumination. This work opens the way to develop new-generation, high-performance nanofibrous membrane-based desiccants for energy-efficient humidity control and atmospheric water harvesting.

Biomimetic hygroscopic nanofibrous membrane with gradient honeycomb-like network structure for efficient atmospheric water harvesting

“…Since the high speci c surface area and porous structure contribute to LiCl loading and water molecules absorption 4 , the samples were evaluated through N 2 adsorption-desorption measurements. The curves exhibited type IV characteristics with an H3 hysteresis loop ( Supplementary Fig.…”

“…Three-dimensional (3D) cellular network materials attract tremendous attention because they can be widely used in tissue engineering, drug delivery, separation and ltration, water harvesting and puri cation, and electronic and optical devices [1][2][3][4] . In cellular network structures, the introduction of a continuous micro ber structure can greatly improve the utilization rate and various material properties 5,6 .…”

Personalized Reusable Face Masks with Smart Nano‐Assisted Destruction of Pathogens for COVID‐19: A Visionary Road

“…They designed a proof‐of‐concept microscale prototype based on a desiccant film and a photothermal coating layer, which was successfully applied as a dehumidifying indoor system without any auxiliary unit, thus consuming no electricity. Starting from this concept, the research team of Bin Ding, strongly enhanced the efficiency of this kind of device, translating the technology from the micro‐ to the nanoscale by using electrospinning [81] . They developed an effective polyacrylonitrile (PAN)‐based composite membrane for sunlight‐driven dehumidification.…”

Photothermal Devices for Sustainable Uses Beyond Desalination

“…For example, Zhang et al developed a hygroscopic nanofibrous membrane as a moisture pump to adjust humidity in a house. [ 114 ] The membrane integrated an indoor hygroscopic layer composed of MOF, LiCl, and polyacrylonitrile nanofibers for moisture capture with an outdoor photothermal layer of carbon black and polyacrylonitrile nanofibers for photothermal conversion.…”