Kiel University MOF harvests water from air at 18% humidity, researchers say it is factory-ready

A German research team at Kiel University has scaled up a metal-organic framework called CAU-10-H that captures water vapor from air at relative humidity as low as 18% and releases it by heating to just 60 degrees Celsius. The material is described in two papers published in the Journal of Materials Chemistry A and Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research. Most atmospheric water-harvesting materials require higher humidity to function. CAU-10-H's low threshold means it can operate in arid conditions where conventional systems fail. Lead author Norbert Stock of the Institute of Inorganic Chemistry said the goal is an environmentally friendly technology that converts water molecules from air into drinking water for regions facing rising temperatures and declining rainfall. The foundational chemistry of metal-organic frameworks earned Omar Yaghi the 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Yaghi's company Atoco is developing shipping-container-sized units designed to produce up to 1,000 liters per day from desert air, with first commercial systems planned for the second half of 2026. The Kiel team says CAU-10-H takes a complementary approach and is ready to leave the lab. The name derives from the university's German acronym (CAU), its catalog number (10), and the hydrogen-based chemical group (H) used in its structure.