An international team of scientists has developed a novel nanomaterial that can efficiently harvest clean drinking water from water vapor in the air. The nanomaterial, based on graphene oxide and calcium, can hold more than three times its weight in water and absorbs water much faster than existing commercial technologies. This breakthrough has the potential to provide clean drinking water to millions of people who lack access to it. The material’s unique properties allow it to form strong hydrogen bonds with water, making it an effective water adsorbent. The team used a supercomputer to model the material’s behavior and understand the underlying mechanisms. The research was led by the University of New South Wales and involved collaboration with researchers from Australia, China, Japan, Singapore, and India. The technology has the potential to be used in any region with sufficient humidity and limited access to clean water. The team is working to scale up the technology and develop a prototype for testing, with the goal of providing clean drinking water to millions of people worldwide.
An ultra-light nanomaterial has been developed to harvest drinking water directly from the air.
