Tailoring MOF-303 with CaCl2 and Graphite: A Promising Material for Atmospheric Water Capture

Anindita Syafira Ariesta (Analytical Chemistry Research Group, Institut Teknologi Bandung, Jl. Ganesa 10 Bandung, 40132, Indonesia)
Muhammad Ali Zulfikar (Inorganic and Physical Chemistry Research Group, Institut Teknologi Bandung, Jl. Ganesa 10 Bandung, 40132, Indonesia)
Aep Patah (Inorganic and Physical Chemistry Research Group, Institut Teknologi Bandung, Jl. Ganesa 10 Bandung, 40132, Indonesia)

Chemistry Indonesian Journal of Chemical Research
Vol 14 No 1 (2026): Edition for May 2026

Atmospheric water harvesting (AWH) is a promising approach to address water scarcity in arid and low-humidity regions. In this study, MOF-303 was synthesized hydrothermally and modified with CaCl₂ and graphite by wet impregnation. Among samples containing 20–40 wt% CaCl₂, MC30-G2 (30 wt% CaCl₂, 2 wt% graphite) showed the best performance, with an adsorption capacity of 402.53 mg g⁻¹ and an adsorption percentage of 40.25%, nearly 94.8% higher than MC30-G0 (206.60 mg g⁻¹). FTIR, PXRD, SEM-EDS, BET, and AAS confirmed successful incorporation of the modifiers while preserving the MOF-303 framework. The composite had a surface area of 823.58 m² g⁻¹. Cycling tests showed adsorption capacity decreased from 495.911 mg g⁻¹ to 361.371 mg g⁻¹ after five cycles, while desorption efficiency remained above 87.99%. These results indicate that MOF-303/CaCl₂/graphite is a promising adsorbent for atmospheric water capture.