Chinese Researchers Develop Solar-Powered Water Cube from Wood

Researchers from the College of Chemistry and Materials Engineering in Hangzhou, China, have developed a wood cube that extracts potable water from ambient air using solar energy. The cube, which utilizes lithium chloride and a carbon nanotube-coated surface, can generate 2.5 milliliters of water per gram of material at night and releases 94% of the harvested water during the day, operating at a relative humidity of just 30%.

This technology could be deployed in arid regions, as the cube is made from balsa wood, which is affordable and biodegradable. Researchers are also exploring AI integration for monitoring environmental conditions and testing new material combinations to enhance efficiency.