Manipulating Water and Heat with Nanoengineered Surfaces

Abstract

Water is a key component in numerous processes impacting our daily lives including thermal management, energy production, and desalination. While significant efforts have been made to improve these processes, recent advancement of nanotechnology has allowed for precise control of surface structuring and chemistry which plays a central role in manipulating water, and thus has realized unprecedented improvement. In this chapter, we review some of the key progress enabled by nanoengineered surfaces for applications in thermal management of electronics, condensation heat transfer for power generation, and water desalination, and provide an outlook for future directions and opportunities.