Developing a surface with dew enhancing properties to harvest water from the environment by treating a clay substrate with SIO2-OTS nanoparticles

Abstract

The demand for drinkable water by the world population is increasing each year due to the aggressive exploitation of natural resources and bodies of water. Mexico is a country rich in natural resources, but its population’s demand for drinking water has led to a rapid deterioration of these. Additionally, with the population spread throughout the national territory many communities have found themselves isolated and with few commodities- water is scarce. Thus, it is imperative to develop an alternative that allows the acquisition of water for the population and various communities who require this element vital for life. There is currently a race of diverse solutions for this world-wide problem. While some studies choose high cost mechanical means, others are seeking low cost solutions by the creation of new materials with nanotechnology and biomimecry. However, neither has created a proper surface or method by which such humidity can be harvested and used by the population. Thus, this proposal, developed at the Instituto Tecnologico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey, offers a solution focused on the replication of the Stenocara Beetle through the creation of a hybrid surface on a clay substrate with SiO2-OTS particles that harvests the environment’s humidity in an alternative that can be introduced into the construction industry.