Extreme Water Uptake of Hygroscopic Hydrogels through Maximized Swelling‐Induced Salt Loading

Graeber, Gustav; Díaz‐Marín, Carlos D.; Gaugler, Leon C.; Zhong, Yang; El Fil, Bachir; Liu, Xinyue; Wang, Evelyn N.

doi:10.1002/adma.202211783

Extreme Water Uptake of Hygroscopic Hydrogels through Maximized Swelling‐Induced Salt Loading

Journal Article · Thu Jun 15 00:00:00 EDT 2023 · Advanced Materials

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.202211783· OSTI ID:1985169

^[1]; ^[2]; Gaugler, Leon C. ^[2]; ^[2]; ^[2]; Liu, Xinyue ^[2]; ^[2]

Department of Mechanical Engineering Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge Massachusetts 02139 USA, Department of Chemistry Humboldt‐Universität zu Berlin 12489 Berlin Germany
Department of Mechanical Engineering Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge Massachusetts 02139 USA

Abstract

Hygroscopic hydrogels are emerging as scalable and low‐cost sorbents for atmospheric water harvesting, dehumidification, passive cooling, and thermal energy storage. However, devices using these materials still exhibit insufficient performance, partly due to the limited water vapor uptake of the hydrogels. Here, the swelling dynamics of hydrogels in aqueous lithiumchloride solutions, the implications on hydrogel salt loading, and the resulting vapor uptake of the synthesized hydrogel–salt composites are characterized. By tuning the salt concentration of the swelling solutions and the cross‐linking properties of the gels, hygroscopic hydrogels with extremely high salt loadings are synthesized, which enable unprecedented water uptakes of 1.79 and 3.86 gg ⁻¹ at relative humidity (RH) of 30% and 70%, respectively. At 30% RH, this exceeds previously reported water uptakes of metal–organic frameworks by over 100% and of hydrogels by 15%, bringing the uptake within 93% of the fundamental limit of hygroscopic salts while avoiding leakage problems common in salt solutions. By modeling the salt‐vapor equilibria, the maximum leakage‐free RH is elucidated as a function of hydrogel uptake and swelling ratio. These insights guide the design of hydrogels with exceptional hygroscopicity that enable sorption‐based devices to tackle water scarcity and the global energy crisis.

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Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE

Grant/Contract Number:: EE0009679

OSTI ID:: 1985169

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 1985171

Journal Information:: Advanced Materials, Journal Name: Advanced Materials Journal Issue: 12 Vol. 36; ISSN 0935-9648

Publisher:: Wiley Blackwell (John Wiley & Sons)Copyright Statement

Country of Publication:: Germany

Language:: English

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