ERI: renewable water harvesting using tunable solid BIO-desiccants for low-energy regeneration

The National Science Foundation Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental, and Transport Systems awarded the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga $199,516 on May 1, 2026, under the Engineering program (CFDA 47.041) to develop tunable solid bio-desiccants for low-energy renewable water harvesting.

The project will synthesize and optimize bio-desiccant materials derived from agricultural biomass, specifically transforming almond waste into functional desiccants that capture atmospheric moisture and release liquid water under modest thermal inputs. The research spans material synthesis, performance evaluation, and system-level validation, with three primary objectives: synthesizing and optimizing tunable solid bio-desiccants from agricultural biomass; establishing quantitative relationships between material properties and durability, sorption capacity, and regeneration energy requirements; and integrating optimized bio-desiccants into a renewable water harvesting prototype to evaluate water production rates, regeneration efficiency, and operational stability. The project will establish design principles for scalable and energy-efficient renewable water harvesting technology applicable to arid and semi-arid regions facing freshwater scarcity.

Work will be performed in Chattanooga, Tennessee, with a period of performance from May 1, 2026, through April 30, 2028. No sub-recipients are planned for this award.

Abstract

Billions of people around the world live in arid and semi-arid regions that have limited freshwater supplies. Technologies that capture water directly from air can help alleviate water scarcity. This project will transform almond biomass waste into a BIO-desiccant. The BIO-desiccant will capture moisture from air and release IT as liquid water. The process will consume modest amounts of energy. Outcomes from the project will support circular biotechnology and bioeconomy and provide an environmentally responsible approach to securing clean water. The project will also contribute to workforce development in sustainable materials and renewable water technologies. This project will support the development of tunable solid BIO-desiccant materials for low-energy renewable water harvesting. The project will design and validate BIO-derived sorbent materials that integrate porous biocarbon scaffolds with ionic liquids. The material will capture atmospheric moisture and release liquid water under modest thermal inputs. The scope of the research will span material synthesis, performance evaluation, and system-level validation. The project will 1) synthesize and optimize tunable solid BIO-desiccants derived from agricultural biomass; 2) establish quantitative relationships between material properties and durability, sorption capacity, and regeneration energy requirements; and 3) integrate optimized BIO-desiccants into a renewable water harvesting prototype to evaluate water production rates, regeneration efficiency, and operational stability. The project will establish design principles for scalable and energy-efficient renewable water harvesting technology. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.- subawards are not planned for this award.