MOF-303 Aluminum Crystals • 20% Relative Humidity • Zero Grid Electricity

Atmospheric Water Harvesting in Hyper-Arid Air

Harvesting 1.0+ Liters of ultrapure water per kilogram of material per day directly from desert night air using low-temperature solar-thermal desorption at 85°C.

quickstart.sh
$ git clone https://github.com/KELLERBABG/AquaMOF.git
$ cd AquaMOF && cargo test
$ cargo run --bin aquamof-sim -- rh 20 temp 30 solar-flux 850

MOF-303 Crystal Micropore Cavities

Traditional condensing de-humidifiers stall below 50% relative humidity because the dew point temperature drops below freezing. AquaMOF uses aluminium 1H-pyrazole-3,5-dicarboxylate:

  • Steep Step Isotherm: Complete pore saturation occurs precisely between 10% and 20% relative humidity via cooperative water-cluster hydrogen bonding.
  • Zero Degradation: Resists hydrolytic breakdown over >10,000 continuous adsorption-desorption thermal cycles.
  • Earth-Abundant Metal: Non-toxic Aluminum framework synthesized without precious or heavy transition metals.

24-Hour Passive Solar-Thermal Cycle

Operates autonomously in remote arid biomes without compressor pumps or electrical grid connectivity:

PhaseProcessThermal State
Night (Adsorption)Air flows through porous MOF bed; water vapor binds to hydrophilic pores.Ambient (20°C - 30°C)
Day (Desorption)Sealed transparent chamber absorbs unconcentrated sunlight; vapor releases into condenser.85°C Solar Heat
HarvestingPure liquid water flows down passive heat pipe into sterile reservoir.Filtered Potable

Atmospheric Harvesting Comparison

MetricRefrigeration CondensersSilica Gel / ZeolitesAquaMOF (MOF-303)
Operational RH Limit> 50% RH (Fails in deserts)> 35% RH10% - 20% RH
Regeneration TempN/A (Compressor driven)160°C - 250°C (High heat)85°C (Passive Solar)
Electrical Energy0.5 - 1.2 kWh / LiterHigh thermal parasitics0 kWh / Liter (Passive)
Water PurityBacterial risk in coilsChemical leechingWHO Potable Direct