Unveiling the atmospheric water harvesting potential of MIL-140A/Ti₃C₂ MXene composites: High-capacity water capture and solar-regenerable performance

Atmospheric Water Harvesting (AWH) offers a sustainable solution to water scarcity, especially in arid regions. This study presents a novel MIL-140A/Ti₃C₂ MXene composite synthesized via a one-pot hydrothermal method and characterized using SEM, TEM, XRD, BET, and TGA. The composite achieved a six-fold improvement in water uptake (0.42 g/g at 80% RH) compared to pristine MIL-140A, with enhanced low-humidity performance (0.17 g/g at 50% RH), attributed to increased surface area and MXene-induced hydrophilicity. Solar desorption experiments under 1 kW/m² illumination showed rapid heating and full water release at only ∼42 °C surface temperature, confirming efficient photothermal conversion. Additionally, 15-cycle stability testing demonstrated consistent uptake and reversibility. These results highlight the composite's practical potential for low-energy, solar-assisted AWH in semi-arid environments like Qatar.