Hydrogels are promising soft materials for energy and environmental applications, including sustainable and off-grid water purification and harvesting. The low water production rate well below daily human demand is a current impediment to technology translation. To make progress towards addressing this challenge, we present the design of a rapid-response, antifouling, loofah-inspired solar absorber gel (LSAG) capable of producing potable water from various contaminated sources at a rate of ~ 26 kg m-2 h-1, which is sufficient to meet daily water demand. The LSAG—produced at room temperature via aqueous-based processing using an ethylene glycol (EG)-water mixture—uniquely integrates the attributes of poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide) (PNIPAm), polydopamine (PDA), and poly (sulfobetaine methacrylate) (PSBMA) to enable off-grid water purification with enhanced photothermal response and the capacity to prevent oil- and bio-fouling. The use of the EG-water mixture was critical to forming the loofah-like structure with enhanced water transport. Remarkably, under various sunlight irradiations of 1 and 0.5 sun, LSAG required only 10 to 20 min to release ~ 70 % of its stored liquid water, respectively. Equally important, we demonstrate the ability of LSAG to purify water from various harmful sources, including those containing small molecules, oils, metals, and microplastics.

Quick release hydrogels for solar-driven water purification

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