An Application of Bio-Inspired Superwetting Surfaces: Water Collection

On a superwetting surface, droplet behaviour can be manipulated. Utilising the directional motion and coalescence of water, water collection (including fog harvesting) is a significant application of superwetting surfaces. In the plant and animal kingdom, many biological surfaces show excellent water-collecting function. This chapter summarises the development and recent progress of the natural and bio-inspired surfaces that can collect water. The biomimetic models, i.e., the model of spider silks, cactus, and desert beetles are introduced. The corresponding mechanism, raw materials or approaches to mimic natural surfaces and optimised structures which show improved water-collecting performance are explained. Future directions for the water-collecting material are forecasted