Bioinspired Polyvinyl Alcohol-Based Foam Fabricated via Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Foaming for Atmospheric Water
Yingying Chen1, Changjun Guo1, Hao Wang1
1Key Laboratory of Material Chemistry for Energy Conversion and Storage, Ministry of Education; Hubei Key Laboratory of Material Chemistry and Service Failure and Hubei Engineering Research Center for Biomaterials and Medical Protective Materials, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China.
Abstract:
The intensifying freshwater crisis underscores the critical need for all-weather, low-energy atmospheric water harvesting technologies. Inspired by the scale-like protrusions and interconnected channels of Tillandsia leaves that enable efficient water capture and release, a polyvinyl alcohol-based foam featuring a three-dimensional porous structure is fabricated using the supercritical carbon dioxide foaming technology. Compared to the traditional freeze-drying method, this approach significantly reduces preparation energy consumption and shortens the production cycle. Lithium chloride integration endows the foam with exceptional moisture absorption capacity, reaching 300% of its weight. Leveraging graphene's outstanding photothermal conversion properties, the foam achieves a photothermal dehydration rate of 80.7% within 80 min under 1 Sun irradiation, demonstrating a rapid water release capacity. Furthermore, the polyvinyl alcohol-based foam exhibits no performance degradation after 60 cycles, indicating remarkable stability. This technology provides a scalable, low-cost, and all-climate-applicable solution for water-scarce regions.
