A group of researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology-Guwahati (IIT-G) claimed to have developed an innovative technique to harvest water from the air. This has been done by applying the concept of hydrophobicity. The results of this new technology have been published in the journal of the Royal Society of Chemistry, IIT-Guwahati.
The research has been done by a group led by Uttam Manna, Associate Professor of Chemistry. Other members of the team are research scholars Kousil Maji, Avijit Das, and Manideepa Dhar. According to Professor Manna, the procedure of harvesting water from air is based on the idea of hydrophobicity which means the water-repelling nature of some objects or materials. According to Professor Manna, the idea of hydrophobicity can be understood by looking at the lotus leaf.
To harvest water from moist air chemically patterned SLIPS have been used for the very first time by the team of researchers. Nowadays, scientists all over the world are looking for ways to conserve water and IIT-Guwahati scientists have to find out an innovative way of water harvesting.
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According to the team, a patterned hydrophilic SLIP was created by spraying a sponge-like porous polymeric material on top of an A-4 sheet. Additionally, chemically modulated hydrophilic spots were associated with the coating, before lubricating with two distinct types of oils. This surface has the capability to harvest water from foggy air or water vapor laden.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ans. This research has been done by a team of researchers in IIT Guwahati.
Ans. The purpose of this research is to harvest water from air.
Ans. This research has been done for the purpose of water conservation.
