Solar-driven smart ceramic fiber-based monolithic adsorbent for autonomous indoor humidity control

Even though designing new sustainable buildings has become a main consensus in mitigating the energy crisis, it is equally important to reduce energy consumption of established architectures. Herein, we present a simple and efficient strategy for low-energy management of indoor humidity in established buildings. Solar-driven humidity -controlled ceramic fiber is fabricated by layer-by-layer assembly of chitosan/CuS backbones and dual-ligand metal organic framework (DMOFs) layer on a substrate. The hydrangea-type DMOFs layer exhibits high -efficient water collection as well as rapid adsorption and transport kinetics, supporting the high atmospheric hygroscopicity (0.45 g/g) of resultant ceramic fiber at 90% relative humidity (RH). The photothermal CuS layer shows high solar thermal conversion and efficient thermal conduction, allowing that adsorbed-water water to rapidly ooze out from DMOFs under the solar energy. Relying on attaching super-hygroscopic DMOFs and CuS particles with high solar absorption, the customized ceramic fiber achieves moisture collection at night and adsorbed-water release during daytime, thereby maintaining stable indoor humidity (41.8%-52.8%). By uniting these two daytime and nighttime management pathways, the resulting closed-loop system will offer a promising and low-energy solution for indoor ambient regulation in existing architectures.

Automated summary

In this study, a simple and efficient method for reducing energy consumption in established buildings is introduced. The solar-driven humidity-controlled ceramic fiber allows for moisture collection at night and adsorbed-water release during daytime, thereby maintaining stable indoor humidity.