Hygroscopicity promotes condensation

Hygroscopicity promotes condensation | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Article Hygroscopicity promotes condensation Zhan-Long Wang, Jun Hu This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-4888027/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Many substances in nature and human society exhibit hygroscopicity. Nowadays, these hygroscopic substances have been broadly used in various domains, e.g., suppressing condensation and icing, collecting water vapor, electric power generation, indoor dehumidification, vapor-fed photocatalytic water splitting and hydrogen production. Due to its hygroscopicity, it has been believed for hundreds of years that hygroscopic substances reduce surrounding humidity and inhibit condensation. Here, we report a distinct phenomenon where hygroscopic liquids, particularly ethylene glycol, a typical hygroscopic solution, induce spontaneous condensation of surrounding water vapor in confined spaces, forming pure condensed droplet patterns. On hydrophobic surfaces, ethylene glycol droplets spontaneously generate a ring of condensed microdroplets around them, presenting a typical structure of Saturn-ring droplets. On smooth surfaces, a filter paper strip soaked in ethylene glycol can cause obvious condensation on the surface when it approaches the surface and within a certain distance, through the confined hygroscopic condensation effect. By utilizing this phenomenon, we achieve water vapor condensation screen-printing of specific shapes on a fixed surface, which we define as Screen Printing of Condensation Patterns (SPCP). This provides an important approach for controlling water vapor condensation and preparing microstructure of moisture sensitive materials. Additionally, this phenomenon can be used for moisture harvesting without the need for specially designed structured surfaces or complex adsorption and desorption processes, achieving a maximum theoretical condensation rate of 20.7 g/m²·min at 80% relative humidity. This unusual phenomenon not only challenge the traditional understanding of hygroscopic substances, but also introduce a new strategy for precisely controlling water vapor condensation, and exploring various novel applications based on controllable condensation patterns. Physical sciences/Physics/Chemical physics Physical sciences/Physics/Condensed-matter physics Physical sciences/Chemistry/Surface chemistry Full Text Additional Declarations There is NO Competing Interest. Supplementary Files SV1.mp4 Induction of water vapor condensation and SRDs formation by an EG droplet on a PTFE surface SV2.mp4 Comparison of SRDs formation induced by EG droplets on PTFE and silicon wafer surfaces SV3.mp4 Process of deposition and removal of an EG droplet, and the formation and evaporation of SRDs on NS surface SV4.mp4 Process of deposition and removal of an EG droplet, and the formation and evaporation of SRDs on PTFE surface SV5.mp4 Process of deposition and removal of an EG droplet, and the formation and evaporation of SRDs on PDMS surface SV6.mp4 Growth of condensed droplets around an EG droplet SV7.mp4 Comparison of the effect of EG and GLY droplets on water vapor condensation on a cold surface SV8.mp4 Process of an EG-soaked filter paper strip approaching and moving away from the silicon wafer surface, and the formation and disappearance of condensation SV9.mp4 Condensation gradually retreat after moving away the EG soaked filter paper SV10.mp4 Screen printing of specially designed condensed patterns: pentagram Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-4888027","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":361054240,"identity":"ae3c7881-3685-49db-be5c-6024ff54df37","order_by":0,"name":"Zhan-Long 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Nowadays, these hygroscopic substances have been broadly used in various domains, e.g., suppressing condensation and icing, collecting water vapor, electric power generation, indoor dehumidification, vapor-fed photocatalytic water splitting and hydrogen production. Due to its hygroscopicity, it has been believed for hundreds of years that hygroscopic substances reduce surrounding humidity and inhibit condensation. Here, we report a distinct phenomenon where hygroscopic liquids, particularly ethylene glycol, a typical hygroscopic solution, induce spontaneous condensation of surrounding water vapor in confined spaces, forming pure condensed droplet patterns. On hydrophobic surfaces, ethylene glycol droplets spontaneously generate a ring of condensed microdroplets around them, presenting a typical structure of Saturn-ring droplets. 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