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Biomimetic TPMS Structure-Based Entangled Hydrogel for Efficient Solar-Driven Atmospheric Water Harvesting
Zhengyi Mao1, Hanyang Yu1, Zhen Yu1
1Department of Mechanical Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, 83 Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China.
Advanced Materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.)
|November 29, 2025
Summary
This study introduces a novel hydrogel mesh for atmospheric water harvesting, significantly accelerating freshwater production. The new material demonstrates rapid water uptake even in ultra-thick configurations, showing great practical potential.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Chemical Engineering
- Environmental Science
Background:
- Atmospheric water harvesting (AWH) offers a sustainable freshwater source.
- Slow sorption kinetics in hydrogels limit efficient AWH, especially for thick materials.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a novel hydrogel structure for enhanced atmospheric water harvesting.
- To improve sorption-desorption kinetics and water collection rates in AWH systems.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of a triply periodic minimal surface (TPMS) structure-based entangled hydrogel mesh (TSEHs).
- Characterization of hierarchical porous structure and its impact on mass transfer.
- Evaluation of sorption-desorption kinetics and water collection efficiency compared to conventional dense hydrogels (CDHs).
Main Results:
- TSEHs exhibit significantly faster sorption-desorption kinetics than CDHs, reducing sorption time by 385%.
- Equilibrium sorption time showed minimal increase with TSEHs thickness up to 12 mm, unlike CDHs.
- Ultra-thick TSEHs (50 mm) demonstrated rapid water uptake, a record for hygroscopic gels.
- A solar-driven prototype achieved a high water collection rate of 4.89 kg m⁻² under 1 sun.
Conclusions:
- TPMS-based hydrogel mesh structure enables rapid and efficient atmospheric water harvesting.
- The developed TSEHs show remarkable scalability and practical potential for decentralized freshwater production.
