Nanorods harvest water from the air

[jos]

Quote

After unintentionally creating carbon-rich nanorods, the team realized its accidental invention behaves weirdly with water, demonstrating a 20-year old theory and potentially paving the way to low-energy water harvesting systems and sweat-removing fabrics.

The researchers note that ordinarily materials will absorb more water as the humidity in the air around them increases. But between 50 and 80 percent relative humidity, these nanorods will actually do the opposite and expel water, a behavior they say is not shared by any other material. Below that range, they behave as normal, so the process is reversible by lowering the humidity again.

These nanorods were created by mistake while trying to fabricate magnetic nanowires, and the researchers decided to give the accidents a closer look. On examining them with a vapor analysis instrument, Satish Nune, one of the authors of the research paper, noticed that the structures were actually losing weight as the humidity increased.

Assuming the equipment was malfunctioning, the scientists switched to a microscope, and were able to observe water appearing from between the branches of the nanorods, and then evaporating at a higher humidity.

The recent research at PNNL appears to be the first time this phenomenon has been directly seen in action. The team's hypothesis was that the water is condensing and drawing the branches of the nanorods together, and when they reach the 1.5 nm threshold, as specified in the previous work, the water quickly evaporates.

"Now that we've gotten over the initial shock of this unforeseen behavior, we're imagining the many ways it could be harnessed to improve the quality of our lives

Potential applications include a system to take in moisture from the air in a desert and then eject the collected water when a certain humidity level is reached, or as a membrane in clothing to remove sweat, convert it to vapor for expulsion outside.

I hope in time this can be mass produced. In developing countries the quality of water is decreasing on daily basis. I think these will be the future of water source.

 

Source: Link

 

[vanished]

Very interesting, and strange.  I too hope this can be put to use in some interesting way, like providing clean water where it's hard to get, or just dehumidifying things for cheap.

[vanished]

5 minutes ago, huilun02 said:

I could use a passive dehumidifier. But humidity where I live is already over 80% ?

We have to use humidifiers so it doesn't go down to like 20 or 30

[rattacko123]

This would be a big improvement to Linus' Bong

[bcredeur97]

so does my dehumidifier.

 

lol jk.

 

Neat technology. Funny how some of the best technologies are created by accident. I live in Louisiana so the humidity here is crazy high, it's like living in a rain forest all summer lol

[Mr.Meerkat]

So basically the opposite of what some subs and the ISS use? Harvest oxygen out of water  

[SurvivorNVL]

Please make one the size of the Eiffel Tower, place it in the center of Florida, and then build hundreds of smaller ones all across the state.  90%+ humidity is getting old.

[Doobeedoo]

Oooh, nice