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Water from humid air? Just add sunlight
NUS team's hydrogel can harvest clean water in greater quantities; targets commercial use
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Clean water can be harvested through condensation using stacks of saturated hydrogel.
ST PHOTO: LEE HUP KHENG
Marcia Lee
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A research team at the National University of Singapore (NUS) has developed a zinc-based hydrogel that can, with natural sunlight, harvest clean water from humid air, including evaporation from water bodies such as the reservoirs in Singapore.
At its heart is zinc oxide, a compound found in sunscreens and which functions as a cost-effective and efficient water absorber.
