A miraculous advancement in material science could unlock a solution to the global water crisis by sourcing water from vapor.
Scientists in the reticular chemistry field have developed crystalline materials known as metal-organic frameworks (MOF) and covalent-organic frameworks (COF) that are highly porous. The materials’ structure allows them to efficiently extract water from vapor in the atmosphere. They are capable of doing this process even in the driest conditions, making it a possible solution for sourcing vital water during droughts.
Material capable of extracting water from vapor comes at a crucial time
This recent development has arrived at a crucial juncture, as the Western US and the global community are facing more water shortages each year. Relying on water vapor instead of underground natural reservoirs could alleviate the burden on the water supply both in the US and worldwide.
Reticular chemistry is an expanding field of research within both the material and chemical science communities. The process involves forming various types of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and covalent organic frameworks (COFs), which can cover substantial internal surface areas. One teaspoon of MOF powder potentially possesses an internal surface area equivalent to that of an American football field.
“You can think of the inside of the material as being much larger than the outside because when you drill these little holes into the particles on the molecular level, you’re creating extra surfaces,” reticular chemistry pioneer Omar Yaghi said in a recent interview.
It works by utilizing the MOFs and COFs’ large storage capacity by placing chemicals that attract water onto them. This essentially allows the materials to capture large quantities of water over time with very little effort.
Yaghi’s company, Ataco, uses an approach that allows them to extract water from atmospheric vapor in areas where humidity falls below 20 percent. The ability to extract water at such dry conditions poses a real solution to the worsening global water crises affecting so many.
“The atmosphere holds a lot of water. If you calculate the amount of water in the atmosphere globally, it is seven times all of the surface water in the world,” Atoco CEO Samer Taha said. “And this is a sustainable source that is automatically replenished by itself.”
Fighting water shortages
Atoco recently unveiled its new technology to the world at the WaterSmart Innovations conference in Las Vegas. The product was an off-grid water generator powered by ambient energy.
Atoco and other scientists in the field of reticular chemistry aim to reduce the over-reliance on our limited natural reservoir resources. Nevada, for example, relies on the Colorado River, which is struggling to maintain its water levels due to overuse.
“The idea here is: since there is a serious issue of water scarcity and it’s becoming worse and worse because of global warming, we can utilize these novel materials to create an efficient technology that can capture water out of the air and generate it in a liquid form anywhere. And that is what we have achieved,” said Taha.
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