Reinforced Elastomer-Based Atmospheric Water Harvesting

Abstract

In recent years, the issue of freshwater scarcity has prompted researchers to undertake comprehensive studies into the advancement of atmospheric water harvesting. The issue of freshwater scarcity is widely recognized as a prominent environmental threat on a global scale. The establishment of atmospheric water harvesting presents a potential remedy to address the prevailing water scarcity crisis on our planet. The study focuses on the fabrication of hydrophobic film using polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) elastomer and tetraethyl-orthosilicate (TEOS) for atmospheric water harvesting. The hydrophobicity of the film was assessed by static contact angle measurements. The phase composition and structural evolution of the film were analyzed using X-ray diffraction and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analyses. The surface morphology of the samples was analyzed using a scanning electron microscope. PDMS-TEOS had a significant hydrophobic characteristic, with a contact angle of 106.9˚. The XRD spectra displayed distinct peaks at 22.6 ˚, 49 ˚, and 64.13 ˚, which can be attributed to an orthorhombic crystalline structure in PDMS-TEOS. The PDMS-TEOS showed a water harvesting rate of 0.058±0.002 gcm-2h -1