Science

Waste plastics become molecular sponges that capture water from air

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Briefings

Researchers at the University of Vienna developed a method to convert discarded plastic waste into molecular sponges capable of capturing atmospheric moisture. The study, published in Chem Circularity, demonstrates that materials like plastic packaging, old CDs, and LEGO bricks can be transformed into polymer networks that absorb water in dry climates and release it upon moderate heating, such as sunlight exposure. This approach offers a potential route for recycling plastic waste into functional materials for water harvesting applications.

Key points

• Chemists Anastasiia Naryshkina, Paul Schweng, and Robert Woodward at the University of Vienna successfully converted various plastic waste types into water-attracting polymer networks.
• The study, published in Chem Circularity, provides a route to repurpose plastic waste as an adsorbent for atmospheric water harvesting through thermal cycling.

Context and limitations

The study covers discarded plastic packaging, old CDs, and LEGO bricks, but does not specify the exact chemical composition of the resulting polymer networks or the precise environmental conditions required for maximum water capture.

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