Biopolymers for Hygroscopic Material Development

Abstract

The effective management of atmospheric water will create huge value for mankind. Diversified and sustainable biopolymers that are derived from organisms provide rich building blocks for various hygroscopic materials. Here, a comprehensive review of recent advances in developing biopolymers for hygroscopic materials is provided. It is begun with a brief introduction of species diversity and the processes of obtaining various biopolymer materials from organisms. The fabrication of hygroscopic materials is then illustrated, with a specific focus on the use of biopolymer‐derived materials as substrates to produce composites and the use of biopolymers as building blocks to fabricate composite gels. Next, the representative applications of biopolymer‐derived hygroscopic materials for dehumidification, atmospheric water harvesting, and power generation are systematically presented. An outlook on future challenges and key issues worthy of attention are finally provided.

Hygrothermic Wood Actuated Robotic Hand

“…Moisture is usually considered as a redundant resource and is neglected. To capture moisture at different relative humidities (RHs), several hygroscopic materials have been developed, [39,40] such as functionalized metal-organic frameworks, lithium chloride (LiCl), lithium bromide (LiBr), calcium chloride (CaCl 2 ) and their derived composites. [41][42][43][44][45] A series of super-hygroscopic materials have been fabricated, including a copper-ethanolamine complex, a cobalt-complex-based hygroscopic material, and other hydrogels based on deliquescence salts.…”

Recyclable and Degradable Biomass-Based Water Vapor Sorbents for Efficient Atmospheric Water Harvesting

“…2−5 There are more than 12,900 billion tons of freshwater constantly preserved in the Earth's atmosphere, known as atmospheric water. 6,7 Atmospheric water is increasingly recognized as a promising alternative water resource for freshwater production in water-deficient areas. 2−10 In recent years, solar-driven sorption-based atmospheric water harvesting (SAWH) technology has been evolving as an attractive means of decentralized drinking water production, especially in areas where a liquid water resource is physically scarce.…”

“…Freshwater scarcity is increasingly becoming a global problem that affects two-thirds of the global population, with more than half a billion people lacking stable and reliable daily access to clean drinking water . Affordable and energy-efficient freshwater production, especially suitable for providing water in undeveloped and landlocked regions, is urgently needed and has long-lasting significance at both regional and global scales. − There are more than 12,900 billion tons of freshwater constantly preserved in the Earth’s atmosphere, known as atmospheric water. , Atmospheric water is increasingly recognized as a promising alternative water resource for freshwater production in water-deficient areas. − In recent years, solar-driven sorption-based atmospheric water harvesting (SAWH) technology has been evolving as an attractive means of decentralized drinking water production, especially in areas where a liquid water resource is physically scarce …”

Self‐Contained Moisture Management and Evaporative Cooling Through 1D to 3D Hygroscopic All‐Polymer Composites

“…[29][30][31][32] In addition, the design and synthesis of hygroscopic polymers (i.e., polyelectrolytes and biopolymers) in diverse shapes (i.e., films, aerogels, hydrogels and foams) with multiscale hierarchical structures have gained increasing attention in recent years. [33][34][35][36][37][38][39][40] These advanced materials exhibit desirable attributes such as high water uptake capability, stable water uptake and release, impressive mechanical strength, and minimized energy consumption through lowgrade thermal energy intake (i.e., waste heat and solar energy). As a result, they hold immense promise in various applications including sorption-based atmospheric water harvesting, passive humidity and temperature regulation, protective packaging, sustainable agriculture, and energy generation.…”