Survival in desert: Extreme water adaptations and bioinspired structural designs
Guandi He,
Chengqi Zhang,
Zhichao Dong
Affiliations
Guandi He
CAS Key Laboratory of Bio-inspired Materials and Interfacial Sciences, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China; School of Future Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
Chengqi Zhang
CAS Key Laboratory of Bio-inspired Materials and Interfacial Sciences, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China; Key Laboratory of Bio-Inspired Smart Interfacial Science and Technology of Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, China; Corresponding author
Zhichao Dong
CAS Key Laboratory of Bio-inspired Materials and Interfacial Sciences, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China; School of Future Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; Corresponding author
Summary: Deserts are the driest places in the world, desert creatures have evolved special adaptations to survive in this extreme water shortage environment. The collection and transport of condensed water have been of particular interest regarding the potential transfer of the underlying mechanisms to technical applications. In this review, the mechanisms of water capture and transport were first summarized. Secondly, an introduction of four typical desert creatures including cactus, desert beetles, lizards, and snakes which have special adaptations to manage water was elaborated. Thirdly, the recent progress of biomimetic water-collecting structures including cactus, desert beetles, and lizards inspired designs and the influence of overflow on water collection was demonstrated. Finally, the conclusions were drawn, and future issues were pointed out. The present study will further promote research on bioinspired water management strategies.
