Synergistic MOF-based composite enabling significant solar-to-water generation enhancement in climate-resilient AWH

Shao, Zhao (author), Feng, Xi (author), Poredoš, Primož (author), Jiang, Boxiong (author), Su, Wen-Yu (author), Lv, Haotian (author), Wang, Zhi-Shuo (author), Wang, Hongbin (author), Du, Shuai (author), Wang, Ruzhu (author)

Solar-driven atmospheric water harvesting (SAWH) holds significant promise for decentralized water supply. However, its widespread application is hindered by two critical limitations: underutilization of high-humidity adsorption windows during nighttime and insufficient desorption during daytime due to the high desorption temperature requirement of conventional sorbents. To overcome these challenges, this study proposes a composite sorbent strategy by synergistically combining the low enthalpy of vaporization of LiCl with the robust adsorption capacity and stability of a metal‒organic framework (MOF, specifically ▫$Ni_{2}Cl_{2}(BTDD)$▫, ▫$H_{2}BTDD$▫ = bis(1H−1,2,3-triazolo[4,5-b],[4′,5′-i])dibenzo[1,4]dioxin). This design leverages the complementary properties to achieve lower desorption temperatures (e.g., < 60 oC in device level) compared to typical MOF-based systems (usually >90 oC in device level), thereby significantly reducing the energy consumption for desorption. Concurrently, the composite exhibits extended adsorption duration within the high-humidity window. Field validation across diverse climatic regions demonstrates the composite’s exceptional wide-range environmental stability and performance. The resulting SAWH device achieves a solar-to-water generation improvement up to 91% in a continental field test. This work presents a generalizable and effective pathway for enhancing SAWH performance through synergistic material engineering, enabling efficient water production and thermal control under varying environmental conditions.

• Language: English
• Keywords: atmospheric water harvesting, solar thermal energy, energy efficiency, heat and mass transfer, mechanical engineering
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FS - Faculty of Mechanical Engineering
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2026
• Number of pages: 8 str.
• Numbering: Vol. 17, art. 2097
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-182675
• UDC: 620.9:536.24
• ISSN on article: 2041-1723
• DOI: 10.1038/s41467-026-68946-8
• COBISS.SI-ID: 278824451
• Publication date in RUL: 20.05.2026

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Nature communications
• Shortened title: Nat. Commun.
• Publisher: Nature Publishing Group
• ISSN: 2041-1723
• COBISS.SI-ID: 2315876

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: pridobivanje vode iz atmosfere, solarna energija, energetska učinkovitost, prenos toplote in snovi, strojništvo