New nanomaterial harvests clean water from air moisture
Image credit: hansreniers via Unsplash
Scientists have created a lightweight nanomaterial that can capture drinking water from the air, even in relatively dry conditions. Composed of graphene oxide strengthened with calcium ions, it offers enhanced water-harvesting efficiency and could support portable, low-energy collection systems. Accessing this untapped resource without costly, power-intensive technology could greatly benefit water-scarce and drought-prone communities, cut resource waste and wastewater pollution, and open new possibilities for clean, affordable hydration.
Source
X. Ren,X. Sui,A. Karton,Y. Nishina,T. Lin,D. Asanoma,L. Owens,D. Ji,X. Wen,V. Quintano,K. Tripathi,K.K. Pant,L. Dai,D.V. Andreeva,T. Foller,K.S. Novoselov, & R. Joshi, Synergetic hydrogen-bond network of functionalized graphene and cations for enhanced atmospheric water capture, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 122 (25) e2508208122, https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2508208122 (2025).
Additional Reading
https://statnano.com/news/74856/Light-as-a-Feather-Nanomaterial-Extracts-Drinking-Water-from-Air