Metal–Organic Framework-Assisted Atmospheric Water Harvesting Enables Cheap Clean Water Available in an Arid Climate: A Perspective
Yang Hu, Linhui Jia, Hong Xu, Xiangming He
Abstract
Extracting water directly from the atmosphere seems to be a perfect way to solve the water scarcity facing 2 billion people; however, traditional Atmospheric Water Harvesting (AWH) lacks the ability to adsorb water molecules in an arid climate. Porous materials are capable of assisting water adsorption; however, currently, only certain customizable Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) are able to meet the standard of adsorbing water molecules at low humidity and releasing water at low temperatures at certain times that can realize assisted AWH's practical and energy-efficient use (Energy consumption < 5kWh/L-water). From this perspective, we offer a concise review of the advancements in enhanced AWH technologies, delve into the attributes of appropriate MOFs, and offer insights into the potential and future directions of MOFs-AWH. In conclusion, we underscore that that the development of designable MOFs holds the key to the widespread practical implementation of AWH, promising the availability of affordable clean water anywhere in the world.