New hydrogel for seawater desalination and medical therapies

With an estimated 55 million people affected by droughts annually and increasing concerns about water scarcity due to climate change, new solutions for water purification are essential. The TherGel project, led by Elaine Armelin and Joan Torras, aims to tackle this challenge by developing a thermosensitive conductive hydrogel named solar absorber hydrogel (SAH).

The SAH utilizes solar energy to expel salts and contaminants from water, offering a sustainable and cost-effective method for producing potable water. Thermosensitive hydrogels are polymeric materials capable of absorbing a large amount of water, depending on the temperature to which they are exposed, and expelling it free of salts and contaminants when heated above 32ºC. By incorporating a conductive polymer, the hydrogel enhances its capacity for water expulsion, making it suitable for filtration systems and capacitive deionization units.

In addition to desalination, the thermosensitive hydrogel shows promise in medical applications. Modified biomedical materials with the hydrogel can adapt to temperature changes within the body, making them ideal for surgical meshes, wound dressings, and other implants. The hydrogel's theragnostic properties enable both therapy and diagnosis, enhancing patient outcomes and reducing risks associated with invasive procedures.

As published in the scientific journal Advanced Functional Materials, so far, the system has achieved an evaporation rate of around 3.5-4.5 kg/square meter per hour, which would account for about 80-100 kg/square meter of clean water in 24 hours.

These first results indicate the effectiveness of the SAH in water evaporation, with potential applications in both domestic water purification systems and industrial desalination processes. Moreover, the hydrogel's biocompatibility and adaptability hold significant promise for advancing medical treatments and improving patient care.

COMPAMED-tradefair.com; Source: Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya - BarcelonaTech (UPC)