Atmospheric water extraction - a review from materials to devices

An enormous volume of water is stored in the Earth's atmosphere, considered a grossly underestimated source of fresh water. Extracting water from the air with sorbents is a booming technology to utilize this ubiquitous water resource for alleviating the global water shortage. The efficiency of sorption-based atmospheric water harvesting (SAWH) is mainly determined by the water sorption performances of sorbents and the daily water output of production devices. This review emphatically discusses recent progress on water vapor sorbents and water production devices, including the water vapor sorption mechanisms and the design principles of devices. We propose that SAWH will develop further towards flexibility, continuity, high productivity, and especially convenience wherever and whenever possible with minimal climatic and geographical constraints. Sorption-based atmospheric water harvesting (SAWH) can turn humidity into liquid water to provide clean freshwater. This review aims to summarize the recent progress on water vapor sorbents and water production devices of SAWH.