Marine biomass-derived, hygroscopic and temperature-responsive hydrogel beads for atmospheric water harvesting and solar-powered irrigation

Abstract

Agriculture is a major user of ground and surface water, accounting for ∼70% of the world’s freshwater withdrawals. The rising agricultural water demand potentially leads to a conflict with water...

Hygroscopic and Photothermal All-Polymer Foams for Efficient Atmospheric Water Harvesting, Passive Humidity Management, and Protective Packaging

“…Owing to solar-powered water evaporation, water contents of 3D foam-3 gradually declined under solar irradiation over time (Figure d). The water desorption kinetics can be expressed using eq , , R normald = m s − m m 0 t where R d (h –1 ) is the water desorption rate, m s (g) is the weight of water-saturated 3D foam-3, m (g) is the weight of dehydrated 3D foam-3 at time t (h), and m 0 (g) is the weight of dry 3D foam-3. Low sunlight (0.4 sun) enabled wet 3D foam-3 to release 39.2% of the adsorbed water in 5 h, leading to a R d of 0.18 h –1 .…”

“…Similar phenomena are reported in previous literature. 19,24,28,47,57 High equilibrium water uptake of ∼2.65 g g −1 was attained under 90% RH and at 25 °C (Figure S13). The result highlights the moisture sorption capability of 3D foams in broad RH and temperature ranges.…”

“…(ii) One of the polymers’ main advantages is their processability, customizability, and adjustability compared to inorganic desiccants. However, shape-controlled and large-scale fabrication of polymer-based desiccants (i.e., natural and synthetic polyelectrolytes) remains elusive. − Hybrid and system-level design of enlarged hygroscopic areas, efficient water diffusion pathways, high water retention, and rapid water release in 3D hybrid desiccants are still beyond reach. , (iii) Aside from moisture harvesting and clean water production, the integration of polymer-based desiccants into emerging energywise technologies (i.e., humidity control, passive cooling, solar-powered irrigation, and energy regeneration) has attracted growing attention. ,,− We suggest that the excellent mechanical properties of processable polymers would provide a new function for polymer-based desiccants, which can be used as versatile cushioning materials in the protective packaging of humidity-sensitive products (i.e., fruits and electronics). To the best of our knowledge, such a proof of concept has not been reported yet.…”

Highly efficient solar driven cogeneration of freshwater and electricity

“…5 The efficient utilization of solar energy is an important strategy for the sustainable development of human society. [6][7][8] Solar steam generation (SSG) based on the photothermal effect (PTE) is a promising strategy developed in recent years to capture solar energy, which can be used for seawater desalination to solve the shortage of freshwater. [9][10][11][12] Intriguingly, during the process of SSG, moving water as the carrier of solar energy also provides a promising method for collecting electricity.…”

Photothermal Aerogel Beads Based on Polysaccharides: Controlled Fabrication and Hybrid Applications in Solar-Powered Interfacial Evaporation, Water Remediation, and Soil Enrichment

“…However, conventional strategies (i.e., atmospheric water harvest, wastewater reuse, and desalination) are generally limited by large energy consumption and carbon footprint. Common centralized water infrastructure fails to be deployed in remote and off-grid areas far away from water sources, all of which require future development of eco-friendly and energywise technologies. − …”