The reality is that we continue to bear the consequences of climate change because of the release of greenhouse gases (GHGs) into the atmosphere. Unchecked, the annual average global temperature increase, relative to pre-industrial times, may reach 5 °C or more by the end of this century. One of the most severe consequences of climate change is water scarcity, leading to desertification, arid landscapes, and millions of people having insufficient access to clean water. Atoco addresses both the root cause of climate change (emissions of GHGs) and one of its most damaging consequences, global water scarcity.

How will we accomplish this? Over the last couple of decades, Prof. Yaghi and his team of scientists have been advancing their analytical and synthetic capabilities for the development of these new reticular materials. Thanks to their dedication, this work has advanced to the point where scientists can now design and analyze new reticular materials with atomic precision. This unprecedented level of accuracy and control over never-seen-before materials led Prof. Yaghi to direct the design of these novel materials toward solving both climate change and water scarcity.

I’ve been involved in various R&D and technology commercialization projects since 1999, and I know what it takes to transform fundamental scientific breakthroughs into commercial systems. Additionally, since 2018, I’ve been focusing on attracting investments and resources into green and climate change technologies. So, when Prof. Yaghi and I met, we realized the significant potential of working together, and I was honored to be appointed CEO by the board of Atoco.

Having worked with Prof. Yaghi for several years, I am excited to lead Atoco towards its fullest potential, capitalizing on decades of advancement in reticular chemistry to address the very real challenges before us all. At Atoco, we believe that the solution to some of the biggest problems facing our planet starts from a very small and precise point; it starts from the ability of our scientists to design and analyze novel materials with atomic precision. Our R&D scientists integrate these materials into state-of-the-art systems, forming a new class of transformational climate change solutions.

Our water harvesting technology can capture and generate pure water from the atmosphere, even in challenging arid conditions with humidity levels below 20 percent. Our solutions are sustainable, energy-efficient, and usable for a broad set of use cases, from drinking water to irrigation or replenishing urban greenery.

Atoco also designs and develops solid-state modules for carbon capture solutions for commercial or industry settings. Our modules support post-combustion capture solutions (PCC) and direct atmospheric capture (DAC) applications. This technology can directly alter carbon output and change the tide in the fight against climate change.

There are endless opportunities where Atoco can collaborate with other industrial partners, governmental organizations, and municipalities for various uses that can benefit from our sustainable and transformational atmospheric water harvesting and carbon capture technologies. I look forward to joining forces with like-minded organizations to serve the planet. At Atoco, we are developing and scaling our technologies that capture water and carbon from the air around us, paving the way for a new economic era, the era of the air economy.

In this blog post, we will outline an understanding of the global water crisis, look at the limitations of current approaches, then discuss the potential of atmospheric water harvesting to be a game-changer in humanity’s quest for a sustainable water supply. In particular, we will highlight the groundbreaking work of Professor Omar Yaghi, whose research into the applications of reticular chemistry including Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) holds immense promise for addressing this crisis.

For the purposes of this blog post, when we refer to water scarcity (shortage of water resources) we include the challenges of water stress (excessive demand on those water resources), as both result in an insufficient water supply.

To comprehend the gravity of the global water crisis, it is essential to recognize that water scarcity affects every continent, impacting ecosystems, agriculture, public health, and economic development. Humans cannot last more than three days without it. According to the United Nations, it is estimated that over 2.2 billion people currently lack access to safe drinking water, while 4.2 billion people experience severe water scarcity for at least one month each year. Furthermore, rapid urbanization and industrialization, coupled with climate change-induced droughts and excessive water consumption, exacerbate this crisis.

Numerous approaches have been employed to address water scarcity, such as groundwater extraction, desalination, and water recycling. While these techniques have been shown to offer some relief, they come with significant limitations. Groundwater extraction often leads to the depletion of aquifers and subsidence of the land, exacerbating water scarcity in the long run. Desalination, while effective, is energy-intensive and expensive, making it inaccessible for many regions. Water recycling, although helpful, faces public perception challenges and requires robust infrastructure.

One promising solution that can complement existing approaches and help tackle the global water crisis is atmospheric water harvesting. This method involves collecting moisture from the atmosphere and converting it into usable water – effectively, “drinking from the sky”. Atmospheric water harvesting presents several advantages over other methods of dealing with the crisis including its scalability, affordability, independence from existing water sources, and potential for decentralized implementation.

Professor Omar Yaghi is the second most-cited chemist in the world. He has received more than 55 prestigious global awards and medals throughout his celebrated career, including the Albert Einstein World Award of Science in 2017, and has made significant breakthroughs in the field of reticular chemistry – of which he is the founder – and its application for atmospheric water harvesting (as well as carbon capture).

Professor Yaghi’s groundbreaking work within the area of reticular chemistry and more specifically the metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) has opened up new possibilities for capturing water from the air more efficiently and effectively. MOFs are highly porous materials with a large internal surface area that can adsorb and store vast amounts of water vapor; ideal for deployment in regions where the moisture content in the air is low.

His team has developed MOFs that can even capture water from extremely arid desert air. The material selectively binds to the water molecules in the air, allowing them to be released when exposed to lower temperatures. By harnessing this unique property, his research provides a stream of hope for water-scarce regions where the relative humidity is typically very low.

Professor Yaghi’s breakthrough has the potential to revolutionize atmospheric water harvesting, offering a sustainable and cost-effective solution for regions struggling with water scarcity. The simplicity and scalability of this approach make it particularly attractive for decentralized implementation, benefiting both rural communities and urban areas.

By integrating this enhanced MOF-based form of atmospheric water harvesting into comprehensive water management strategies, we can move closer to a sustainable future where clean and accessible water is available to all – and work towards a world where water scarcity is no longer a threat but a challenge we have successfully overcome.