We are excited to announce that we are partnering with Professor Matthew Green and doctoral student Deepak Akundi at the Arizona State University Center for Negative Carbon Emissions to begin the next phase of work on our atmospheric moisture harvester.
Our moisture harvester’s design centers around the water absorbing material MOF-801, the most efficient in the extremely low relative humidities of the Sonoran Desert. Initially, as middle schoolers, we were unable to obtain a sample of the substance, which is cheap and easy to produce but requires lab facilities.
You can learn more about our design here: Our Solution
Under our US Army-sponsored research grant, we partnered with the DEVCOM Army R&D labs to obtain a small sample for testing. After preliminary testing, however, we needed a larger sample to test integration into the actual prototype. We obtained a larger sample of MOF-801 from a commercial supplier, but the sample needs to be activated before use. This is a simple process, but requires equipment and facilities we did not have access to. Thanks to Prof. Green and his team, we are now able to proceed!
You can learn more about our grant here: We Won a Stem-In-Action Grant!, Our STEM-In-Action Grant: Final Report
We are extremely grateful to Prof. Green and Mr. Akundi for their support and assistance in our ongoing mission.