Bioinspired Asymmetric-Anisotropic (Directional) Fog Harvesting Based on the Arid Climate Plant Eremopyrum orientale

Asymmetric-anisotropic (directional) fog collection behaviour is observed for leaves of the arid climate plant species Eremopyrum orientale. This is underpinned by a hierarchical surface structure comprising macroscale grooves, microscale tilted cones (in the direction of water flow), and nanoscale platelets. Soft lithography combined with either nanocoating deposition or functional nanoimprinting has been used to replicate this highly-efficient directional water collection mechanism

Antimicrobial activity of some centaurium hill taxa growing in Turkey

Objective: In this study, in vitro antimicrobial activity of ethyl acetate and methanol extracts of the aerial parts of five Centaurium species (Centaurium erythraea subsp. rhodense, C. erythraea subsp. turcicum, C. maritimum, C. spicatum, and C. tenuiflorum subsp. acutiflorum), which are naturally grown in Turkey were intended to be tested against selected Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria; and a yeast Candida albicans by using broth microdilution method. Material and Method: Methanol and ethyl acetate extracts of aerial parts were obtained from each of the Centaurium plants collected from Ege (Mugla, Denizli, Izmir) and Akdeniz (Antalya) Regions in Turkey tested on S. aureus ATCC 29213, E. faecalis ATCC 29212, E. coli ATCC 25922, K. pneumoniae ATCC 13883, P. aeruginosa ATCC 27853 as bacteria and C. albicans ATCC10231 as yeast by using broth microdilution method. Result and Discussion: The methanol extracts of all Centaurium species have indicated moderate antimicrobial activities against S. aureus, E. faecalis, E. coli, K. pneumoniae, P. aeruginosa and C. albicans, but ethyl acetate extract have no activity. © 2020 University of Ankara. All rights reserved

Bioinspired fog capture and channel mechanism based on the arid climate plant Salsola crassa

Salsola crassa plant hairs collect fog in their natural arid climate habitat through the capture and growth of water droplets. These then, either drip onto the ground below due to gravity, or coalesce into larger attached water droplets, whilst concurrently rolling downwards along the curvature of the Salsola crassa leaf (fog collection and water channelling mechanism). Non-woven and cotton fibrous materials are shown to mimic the fog harvesting behaviour of Salsola crassa hairs, where the overall mist collection efficiency can be enhanced by over 300 percent through the incorporation of multiple length scale (hierarchical) channel structures in conjunction with hydrophobic surface functionalisation