CAS-Climate: A Biomass-Based Sustainable Solution for Highly Efficient Atmospheric Water Harvesting

University Of Maryland, College Park, College Park MD

Investigators

Abstract

Water scarcity presents a significant global challenge. Nearly two-thirds of the global population struggle with limited access to fresh water. While the Earth is covered in water, only a small portion is freshwater suitable for human consumption. This makes it difficult to provide clean water to communities. The goal of this project is to explore sustainable technology to capture and utilize water present in the atmosphere. Specifically, hygroscopic salts and biomass-based polymers will be combined to develop efficient atmospheric water harvesting (AWH) systems. Wide adoption of these AWH systems would enhance access to clean water, especially in arid regions experiencing water scarcity. The project includes several outreach activities to the broader community that will benefit society through increased public knowledge of science. These include webinars on sustainable materials innovations for global challenges, a collaboration with the Maryland Science Center, and community engagement to the Washington DC metropolitan area through Maryland Day. The project will advance the science and technology of AWH by exploring novel materials and system designs to efficiently extract drinking water from the air, addressing the pressing issue of water scarcity in human society. Building on promising preliminary studies, the project will investigate the synergistic effects of water vapor sorbents, superabsorbent polymers (SAPs), and photothermal materials on AWH performance. Specific research objectives include: (1) Selecting water vapor sorbents with high water capture capacity and speed through a comprehensive study integrating density functional theory calculations and experimental validation; (2) Exploring polysaccharide-based SAPs to enhance water uptake capacity and resolve salt leakage issues by functionalizing biomass-based foam surfaces; and (3) Investigating strategies for designing appropriate photothermal materials for the AWH system. These include carbonized porous materials based on biomass, hybrid biomass-carbon materials, and surface-treated biomass materials. Through detailed characterization and performance evaluation, the project will identify fundamental relationships between material composition, porous structure, and water harvesting efficiency. Developing standardized measurement protocols and AWH system prototypes will facilitate comparative analysis and practical implementation of the designed materials. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.