Integrated manufacturing of REciclable multi-material COmposites for the TRANSport sector
Hierarchically MOF?Based Porous Monolith Composites for Atmospheric Water Harvesting
This review explores the design of hierarchical porous materials for atmospheric water harvesting, focusing on metal?organic frameworks (MOFs) and porous monoliths. Emphasis is placed on integrating MOF nanoscale porosity with the microscale channels of monolithic scaffolds to enhance sorption?desorption performance. The role of multiscale porosity, from the nanometer scale to the macrostructure, is highlighted in optimizing water uptake, vapor transport, and stability under varying humidity.Water scarcity, a critical global challenge, has intensified due to the adverse effects of climate change on ecosystems and its detrimental impact on human activities. Addressing this issue requires solutions capable of providing clean water in regions facing hydroclimatic challenges and limited infrastructure. Atmospheric water harvesting (AWH) offers a promising solution, particularly in arid regions, by extracting moisture from the air. This review explores AWH technologies that leverage material porosity and hygroscopicity, focusing on highly porous materials such as Metal?Organic Frameworks (MOFs) and monolithic scaffolds. While MOFs exhibit exceptional water uptake due to their tunable chemistry and nanoscale porosity, their powdery nature poses stability and processability challenges. To overcome these limitations, integrating MOFs into multiscale porous monoliths—such as foams, aerogels, cryogels, and xerogels—enhances structural integrity and performance. The role of hierarchical porosity, engineered across nano?scale in MOF (2 nm) is emphasized in porous monoliths, in optimizing water capture efficiency. This review also highlights recent advancements in MOF?based composite monoliths, their working mechanisms, and the potential for large?scale implementation. By integrating nanotechnology with material chemistry, this work outlines strategies to enhance sorption capacity, desorption kinetics, and scalability, ultimately providing a roadmap for developing efficient, sustainable, and scalable AWH systems.
» Publication Date: 02/07/2025
This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement Nº 768737
