Water vapor has received worldwide large attention due to its broad technological implications ranged from resource production and environmental remediation. Especially, one of the typical areas where the water vapor is important is the removal of PM ...
Water vapor has received worldwide large attention due to its broad technological implications ranged from resource production and environmental remediation. Especially, one of the typical areas where the water vapor is important is the removal of PM (particulate matter) which causes a critical hazard to human health. However, most vapor-based PM removal methods are limited in removing PM2.5 by using relatively large water droplets and consume large energy. Here, we propose a superhydrophilic thermally-insulated macroporous membrane to generate steam flow. The water vapor directly captures PM with steam flow and hygroscopic characteristic of PM. The steam, the cluster of water vapor, from the membrane gives rise to high removal efficiencies compared to those of the control case without light illumination. To reveal PM removal mechanism, the steam flow and PM were quantitatively analyzed using PIV measurement. The proposed steam generator could be utilized as an economical and ecofriendly platform for effective PM removal at a fairly low cost in a sustainable, energy-free, and harmless-to-human manner.