Design and Fabrication of a Portable Device for Water Extraction from Atmospheric Humidity Using Nanostructured Adsorbents (Metal–Organic Frameworks MOF-801): Green Synthesis and Performance Analysis

Document Type : Research Article

Authors
Mohammad Aghajani 1
Mehdi simiari 2
Hassan , Tavakoli 3
1 Faculty of New Technologies, University of Science and Technology, Tehran, Iran
2 Department of Physics, Faculty of Basic Science, Imam Ali University, Tehran, Iran
3 Chemistry Group, Faculty of Basic Science, Imam Ali University, Tehran, Iran
10.22034/amnc.2025.518741.1287
Abstract
With the growing global water crisis and declining access to freshwater, atmospheric humidity has gained attention as a renewable and sustainable source of potable water. This study presents the design and development of a portable device for extracting water from air using nanostructured Metal–Organic Frameworks (MOF-801). The MOF-801 was synthesized via a green method, using only distilled water as the reaction medium and avoiding harmful organic solvents. The resulting framework, with a surface area of approximately 700 m²/g, was integrated into a device consisting of a plexiglass chamber, a planar heater for desorption, and a thermoelectric module for vapor condensation and water recovery.
The system operated based on scheduled adsorption–desorption cycles, and performance was evaluated across multiple runs. The MOF demonstrated a water uptake of around 35% by weight under ambient humidity. In semi-industrial operation using 1000 grams of MOF-801, the device was capable of producing approximately 3 liters of water per day. This output can be further enhanced by increasing the number of cycles and optimizing the system. The total daily energy consumption was measured at about 1.6 kWh, translating to a production cost of less than 100 IRR per liter.
These results confirm that MOF-801-based water harvesting systems are not only technically effective but also economically and environmentally viable, offering a promising solution for potable water production in arid environments, emergency conditions, and portable field applications.
Keywords
Atmospheric Water Harvesting
Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs)
Green Synthesis
Nanostructured Adsorbent
Subjects