«Proceedings of Gubkin University»

Prospects for application of cellulose composites with conductive fillers for atmospheric water harvesting

UDC: 544.018.2
DOI: -

Authors:

¹ National University of Oil and Gas “Gubkin University”, Moscow, Russian Federation

Keywords: atmospheric water harvesting, hybrid material, microfibrillated cellulose, polystyrene, conductive polymer, PANI

Annotation:

Atmospheric water harvesting is one of the most efficient, cost-effective, and promising methods for addressing water scarcity. The atmosphere contains approximately 13·10¹⁵ liters of water in vapor form, far exceeding the demand for clean water in both arid and humid regions. Composite materials (CMs) based on cellulose have the ability to absorb, retain, and desorb moisture, making them promising candidates for use in atmospheric water harvesting devices. The desorption process can be intensified through resistive heating of the CMs. However, cellulose-based CMs exhibit inherently low electrical conductivity, making resistive heating impractical with low-power currents in autonomous devices. In this study, composite materials based on modified microfibrillated cellulose with added polyaniline (PANI) and carbon components are synthesized, and their electrical conductivity and photothermal properties are investigated. The obtained composites can absorb and accumulate light radiation on their surfaces while maintaining the hydrophilic properties of the original cellulose matrix, thus making them suitable for atmospheric water harvesting systems. The electrical conductivity enhances the overall system performance through resistive heating of the material surface.

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