In many arid coastal areas, there may not be much water on the ground, but there is still some water vapor that can be extracted from the air. This situation prompted scientists to create a new hydrogel that can effectively capture water in the air over the ocean and then release it as fresh water.

The hydrogel was developed by a team at the National University of Singapore. It is said that the absorption of zinc-based materials is more than 8 times that of existing desiccants (such as silica gel and calcium chloride)-its absorption capacity is more than 4 times the dry weight of water . In addition, unlike the case of traditional desiccants, no electricity is needed to remove water from it, and the gel can be reused more than 1,000 times.

In the field test, a floating device containing hydrogel was placed on the beach on the surface of the ocean. As the water vapor subsequently evaporates from the brine, the gel collects tiny droplets of steam in the air. Once the material is saturated, place it in a closed glass box, which is left in the hot sunlight.

This is heated to between 45 and 50ºC (113 and 122ºF), and the gel releases the stored fresh water in the form of vapor. The steam condenses on the wall of the box and is collected in liquid form. In contrast, materials such as silicone must be heated to a relatively high temperature and usually require power.

Scientists are now studying how to further improve the absorption capacity of the hydrogel and optimize the water collection process. In the current form, if reused throughout the day, more than 10 liters of fresh water can be collected per kilogram of gel per day.

"Our invention is also likely to be greatly expanded and function as a floating water-capture farm," said Tan Swee Ching, associate professor in charge of the research. "This approach can benefit rural communities that have access to clean water. By creatively applying novel solutions, we hope to contribute to alleviating the global water crisis."

The study was recently published in the journal Advanced Materials. In previous studies, the same hydrogel was also shown to effectively reduce the relative humidity in the room.

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