In outdoor tests, it captured 2.5 milliliters per gram overnight and released most of it during the day. “At 30 percent humidity, our device absorbed water at about 0.6 milliliters per gram,” Junfeng Hou, PhD, a professor at the Zhejiang A&F University and co-lead researcher, . “These results highlight its potential use in off-grid, solar-driven water harvesting systems.”
Meanwhile, using natural wood as the base material helped lower costs while also offering strong structural support and improving water movement thanks to its porous structure. Because of this and its stable performance over 10 cycles with under 12 percent efficiency loss, the researchers see strong potential for large-scale use in remote or arid regions.