Nanotechnology Applications in Atmospheric Water Harvesting System Utilizing Hybrid Nano-Sorbents Mechanism

Water scarcity has caused severe impact on the entire ecosphere while the climate change is resulting in high frequency of extreme weather conditions, especially extended period of drought. The atmosphere contains an immense yet underexploited freshwater reservoir. Atmospheric water harvesting (AWH) taps this resource by extracting vapour or fog and converting it into liquid water. Nanotechnology has recently revolutionised AWH, enabling materials with record moisture sorption capacities, rapid kinetics and passive operation. This review surveys recent advances in nanostructured sorbents, superhydrophobic and photothermal coatings, radiative‐cooling materials and graphene based composites. Performance metrics are compared across laboratory prototypes and commercial devices, highlighting breakthroughs such as hierarchical sorbents producing >۲.۸ kg water kg⁻¹ day⁻¹ and integrated solar–wind systems delivering ۱۴.۹ L m⁻² day⁻¹ water. We discuss adsorption and condensation mechanisms, solar assisted desorption, radiative cooling and heat recovery strategies. Commercial products, including solar powered hydropanels and large scale atmospheric water generators, are evaluated for efficiency and energy consumption. The review identifies challenges—such as sorbent stability, fouling, regeneration energy and cost—and outlines directions for scalable, sustainable AWH systems.The core of this system is a multifunctional hybrid nano-sorbent, composed of specifically designed Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) integrated with functionalized carbon nanotubes and hygroscopic nanoparticles. This nanostructure, in our project with its extremely high surface area and nanoscale porosity, exhibits a superior capacity for adsorbing water molecules even at low relative humidity levels (below ۳۰%). The water release mechanism is innovatively driven by solar energy, specifically in the infrared spectrum, where the carbon nanotubes act as photo-thermal converters, enabling rapid and low-energy desorption of distilled water from the nano-sorbent. The system is entirely reliant on renewable energy and is scalable for various applications, from personal portable devices to large industrial units.

کلیدواژه ها:

Atmospheric water harvesting ، Nanotechnology ، Radiative cooling ، Graphene ، Sorbent materials ، Photothermal materials