journal article·2025-09Open access

Ambient‐Dried MOF/Cellulose‐Based Aerogels for Atmospheric Water Harvesting and Sustainable Water Management in Agriculture

Ahmadreza Ghaffarkhah, Mahyar Panahi‐Sarmad, Sara Rostami, Orysia Zaremba, Lukas Alexander Bauman, Seyyed Alireza Hashemi, Subhajit Dutta, Pu Yang, Tianyu Guo, Feng Jiang, Stefan Wuttke, Mohammad Arjmand, Orlando J. Rojas

Advanced Functional Materials· Volume 35· Issue 39

Abstract

Abstract Atmospheric water harvesting (AWH) is a promising approach to address water scarcity; however, achieving scalable and efficient materials remains a critical challenge. Herein, we present ambient‐dried aerogels composed of biobased materials (cellulose nanofibers and sodium alginate), integrated with metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) and hygroscopic salts for effective AWH. A key innovation in this system is the functional incorporation of MOFs into the aerogel scaffolds, where they enhance water capture at low relative humidity (RH) and contribute to improved salt stabilization. The biobased matrix facilitates ambient drying, while promoting efficient water transport and absorption. The prepared aerogels demonstrate a competitive water uptake of 0.32 g/g at 25% RH and 3.52 g/g at 90% RH within 12 h. When coated with a carbon nanotube (CNT) layer, the aerogels achieve a solar‐driven evaporation efficiency of ≈70%. As proof of concept, the aerogels were used to create microclimates inside a terrarium, where atmospheric water absorbed by the system was released under solar irradiation to sustain a plant growth for two weeks. This stategy can be extended to greenhouses, leveraging high humidity and waste heat for enhanced water regeneration, alongside ventilation systems to optimize water collection efficiency, representing a transformative opportunity for sustainable agriculture.
Source: crossref · Quality: baseline

Research context

OpenAlex topics: Solar-Powered Water Purification Methods · Aerogels and thermal insulation · Membrane Separation Technologies

SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.

Affiliations

Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering The University of British Columbia 2360 East Mall Vancouver BC V6T 1Z3 Canada

BioProducts Institute University of British Columbia 2385 Agronomy Rd & East Mall Vancouver BC V6T 1Z4 Canada

Nanomaterials and Polymer Nanocomposites Laboratory School of Engineering University of British Columbia Kelowna BC V1V 1V7 Canada

Sustainable Functional Biomaterials Laboratory Bioproducts Institute Department of Wood Science The University of British Columbia Vancouver BC V6T 1Z4 Canada

Basque Centre for Materials, Applications & Nanostructures (BCMaterials) Bld. Martina Casiano, 3rd. Floor UPV/EHU Science Park Barrio Sarriena s/n Leioa 48940 Spain

Academic Centre for Materials and Nanotechnology AGH University of Krakow al. Adama Mickiewicza 30 Kraków 30–059 Poland

Department of Wood Science The University of British Columbia 2424 Main Mall #2900 Vancouver BC V6T 1Z4 Canada

Department of Chemistry The University of British Columbia 2036 Main Mall Vancouver BC V6T 1Z1 Canada

Funding

Canada Foundation for Innovation · Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada

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