3D printing a cellular channel sponge for high-efficiency liquid collection and solar evaporation

Zhengyi Mao, Fengqian Hao, Yao Yao, Wanying Wang, Xuliang Chen, Fucong Lyu, Lu Yao, Qiliang Wang*, Jian Lu*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Journal Publications and ReviewsRGC 21 - Publication in refereed journalpeer-review

1 Citation (Scopus)

Abstract

Rapid liquid collection plays an important role in many environmental and health-related applications, such as oil spill cleanup and clinical sampling. However, the low-cost and the energy-effective liquid absorbing remain a grand challenge, especially for viscous liquids. Here, by mimicking, scaling up, and rationally designing the microchannels of animals' cornea, a sponge with 3D-cellular microfluidic channels, which has a large liquid absorption coefficient, was proposed and prepared using 3D printing. Compared with the sponge with random pores, the 3D-printed sponge has both faster absorption speed and larger capacity due to controllable channel size, low tortuosity, and large porosity of the cellular channels. Moreover, by combining with the photothermal effect, the 3D-printed sponge exhibits superior absorption performance for highly viscous curd oil under the irrigation of sunlight. The 3D printing endowed topographic surface also makes the 3D-printed sponge as the promising candidate for solar water evaporation. The design of sponge with cellular channels shows great potential in eco-friendly, low-cost, and high-efficiency collection of liquids with various viscosities and solar water evaporation. © 2025 Elsevier B.V.
Original languageEnglish
Article number118725
JournalDesalination
Volume604
Online published21 Feb 2025
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Jun 2025

Funding

J.L. acknowledges the RGC Theme-based Research Scheme AoE/M-402/20, the Open Project of Yunnan Precious Metals Laboratory Co., Ltd. (YPML 2023050248), and the Hong Kong Innovation and Technology Commission via the Hong Kong Branch of National Precious Metals Material Engineering Research Center. Q.W. would like to thank the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council for funding support to the Marie Sklodowska-Curie fellowship (Horizon Europe Guarantee grant number: EP/Y016645/1).

Research Keywords

  • 3D printing
  • Cellular channels
  • Liquid absorption coefficient
  • Solar water evaporation
  • Viscosity

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