The device and the hydrogel was developed by a team led by Professor Li Jun (Biomedical Engineering) working with collaborators Professors Wang Ruzhu and Huang Danfeng from Shanghai Jiao Tong University. The team claim the device could grow urban farms in Singapore and improve the countries food security.
The gel contains hygroscopic properties, meaning its able to capture and store water vapour from the air, and then release it later.
The moisture-harvesting gel, termed TCP-Li, is made from a combination of materials, including titanium nitride (TiN). The material acts as the solar energy conversion unit; curdlan, natural biomass polysaccharide that forms a gel when heated; and sodium polyacrylate and lithium chloride, which enhances the gel’s ability to absorb moisture from the air.
The gel will be placed in a compact, rectangular unit dubbed the Transpiration and Evaporation Assisted Device (TEAD). The device is lightweight and can be integrated into urban farming setups.
At night when it’s cooler and more humid the gel inside the TEAD system captures moisture from the air inside urban farms or greenhouses. During the day, the device’s transparent upper surface allows sunlight to heat the gel, causing it to release the absorbed moisture as water vapour. This vapour is then condensed and collected as liquid water in a reservoir for reuse in irrigation.
“Our research offers a significant step forward in addressing global water scarcity,” said Prof Li. “It provides a powerful, scalable solution that could transform urban communities, making them more resilient and more sustainable.”
