Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, have unveiled a compact device capable of drawing water straight from the atmosphere by harnessing sunlight as its energy source. The team showcased their work in findings published in Nature Water, highlighting a practical approach to water harvesting that relies on ambient air moisture and solar heat to drive a closed loop of collection and condensation.
The core material behind this breakthrough is a porous organometallic framework called МОК-303. This three-dimensional skeleton combines aluminum hydroxide with 1H-pyrazole-3,5-dicarboxylate to form an exceptionally open lattice. The high porosity of the framework enables it to capture water molecules even when humidity levels are relatively low, making the technology potentially useful in dry climates where traditional methods struggle to provide reliable water sources.
In operation, disk-shaped membranes with a diameter of 38 millimeters and a thickness of about 0.8 millimeters are mounted in a cartridge that sits exposed to the open air. During the day, the cartridge moves into the device’s internal chamber to optimize exposure to sunlight. Solar heating raises the temperature of the captured water within the membrane layers, causing it to release as steam. This steam is directed to an aluminum radiator where it condenses back into liquid water, which then flows into a dedicated collection vessel for use or storage.
Field testing took place in an arid environment representative of desert conditions, mirroring the challenges faced in reliable water sourcing. The trials demonstrated the device’s capability to collect substantial quantities of water, achieving hundreds of grams per kilogram of material per day under a range of temperatures and relative humidity conditions. The performance metrics indicate that higher solar input and properly tuned operating temperatures maximize the return, while lower humidity still allows meaningful recovery due to the framework’s affinity for water even at modest moisture levels.
The development narrative emphasizes a scalable path from laboratory synthesis to practical deployment. By leveraging a sunlight-powered cycle and a robust, porous MOF scaffold, the system aims to provide a low-energy option for water collection in remote or drought-stricken regions. This line of work contributes to a broader research agenda focused on atmospheric water capture as a complement to traditional water infrastructure, offering a potential route to increase resilience in water-scarce communities and support emergency water needs when ground sources fail or become unreliable. (Nature Water)