Physics-based prediction of moisture-capture properties of hydrogels.

Moisture-capturing materials can enable potentially game-changing energy-water technologies such as atmospheric water production, heat storage, and passive cooling. Hydrogel composites recently emerged as outstanding moisture-capturing materials due to their low cost, high affinity for humidity, and design versatility. Despite extensive efforts to experimentally explore the large design space of hydrogels for high-performance moisture capture, there is a critical knowledge gap on our understanding behind the moisture-capture properties of these materials.