Access to clean and potable fresh water is a significant concern for millions of individuals worldwide. Specifically, regions experiencing severe water scarcity and sanitation challenges often coincide with some of the sunniest places on the planet. Consequently, a team of researchers from Shanghai Jiao Tong University in China has developed a new water harvesting technology that harnesses the abundant sunlight in these arid areas to generate drinkable water.
The United Nations reports that over 733 million people reside in countries with high or critical water stress, with Northern Africa and Western Asia being particularly affected by natural aridity, minimal precipitation, and rapid urbanization, placing immense strain on freshwater reserves. To tackle this issue, scientists have been exploring solar-powered technologies for water harvesting and production.
The most recent breakthrough involves a highly hygroscopic gel developed by Dr. Chengjie Xiang and his colleagues, consisting of plant derivatives, lithium chloride, and titanium nitride. This hydrogel has demonstrated the capability to absorb substantial amounts of water, with one kilogram of the dry gel absorbing up to 6.4 kg of water in humid environments and 1.18 kg in arid environments.
Incorporated into a prototype device with separate desorption and condensation chambers, the hydrogel effectively collects and releases water even under low sunlight intensity. Furthermore, the straightforward and cost-effective synthesis method of the hydrogel positions it as a promising solution for various applications, including agriculture and energy.
Dr. Xiang stresses that this new technology has the potential to address not only the water crisis but also enhance food production and energy conversion. The efficient adsorption-desorption kinetics of the hydrogel, coupled with its natural plant-derived synthesis, could also benefit other sectors such as adsorption refrigeration and heat storage. Additionally, the concurrent capture of water and carbon dioxide could pave the way for the generation of liquid sunlight, involving the conversion of solar energy into methanol using water and carbon dioxide.
This pioneering research was featured in Applied Physics Reviews, with Dr. Chengjie Xiang discussing the promising implications of this solar-powered hydrogel technology with Alexander Beadle, Science Writer for Technology Networks. The research paper titled “Daytime air–water harvesting based on super hygroscopic porous gels with simultaneous adsorption–desorption” was published in Appl Phys Rev (2023;10(4):041413) and is available for further reading.
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