Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin have developed a groundbreaking technology that can extract clean water directly from the atmosphere using everyday throwaway materials. The team created “molecularly functionalized biomass hydrogels” that can produce nearly four gallons of water per day per kilogram of material, three times more than conventional water-harvesting technologies.
This new approach to water harvesting uses natural materials that would otherwise end up in landfills, making it both safer and more environmentally friendly. By converting cellulose, starch, and chitosan into high-performance water harvesters, the researchers have created a sustainable way to provide clean water to communities in need.
The technology works through a two-step process, where thermoresponsive and zwitterionic groups are added to the materials to increase water absorption capacity. During field tests, the system was able to produce up to 14.19 liters of water daily per kilogram of material, far surpassing the output of other similar technologies.
What sets this water-harvesting technology apart is its minimal energy requirements, only needing mild heating to release the captured water. This makes it ideal for off-grid communities and emergency situations where power may be unavailable.
Professor Guihua Yu and his team are now working on scaling production and designing practical devices for commercialization, including portable water harvesters and self-sustaining irrigation systems. This innovative technology offers a new way to think about sustainable water collection, providing a solution for the nearly 4.4 billion people around the world who lack safe drinking water access.
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