MORE | Fall 2020

Development of A Photo-Responsive Moisture-Absorbent Composite for Atmospheric Water Extraction

Atmospheric water extraction technology, utilizing adsorbents to provide fresh water to tackle the crisis of water resource shortage, holds promise but currently suffers from excess required energy. To address power concern, a photo-responsive hybrid gel consisting of a hygroscopic material, a hydrophilic polymer-based hydrogel, and a photosensitive moiety are currently under development. The goal is to enable the hybrid gel system to run efficiently, which could capture the water vapor from the air by hygroscopic material, transport them into the hydrophilic polymer-based hydrogel network and release the liquid water by a targeted light stimulation under a wide range of humidity.