Chinese researchers say they have developed a new solar-powered material that can extract boron directly from seawater while simultaneously producing fresh drinkable water. The breakthrough could have major implications for hypersonic weapons, rare-earth supply chains, and desalination technology.
Scientists at Northwest A&F University reported creating a thin composite gel that absorbs trace amounts of boron, an element used in solid fuels for scramjet engines powering some advanced hypersonic systems. Boron is also important in manufacturing neodymium-iron-boron magnets used across electric motors, wind turbines, robotics, and military systems.
China faces high domestic demand for boron but lacks abundant natural reserves. Global output is concentrated in Turkey and the United States. The new technique could reduce reliance on imports while bypassing existing mining and processing constraints.
The research, published in Science Bulletin, outlines how the team engineered a layered gel known as MMS. The upper layer is designed to sit on the water surface and absorb sunlight, while the lower layer remains immersed and captures dissolved material. The material is built using sodium alginate combined with two active components: MXene nanomaterials and magnesium oxide.
MXene, a two-dimensional compound known for exceptional light absorption, heats quickly when exposed to sunlight. This triggers evaporation, drawing ocean water into the structure. As water travels through the gel, magnesium oxide selectively captures boron and stores it within the material.
In controlled laboratory trials, the gel produced more than two kilograms of purified water per square meter per hour and accumulated more than 225 milligrams of boron. According to the scientists, the captured water showed no measurable boron content, solving a problem that has long challenged desalination plants where boron often remains in post-filtered drinking water.
The team also conducted outdoor trials in Hong Kong. Despite weaker sunlight, the gel still maintained high water output and pulled measurable boron from natural seawater. Even after repeated use, boron uptake performance remained above 86 percent.
Researchers say the porous architecture of the gel allows fluid movement, temperature gradients, and concentration differences to reinforce each other. This combination appears to accelerate boron adsorption significantly compared with previous methods.
The technology is still at an early stage, but the authors noted interest in expanding its scale and lowering manufacturing costs. If successful, the system could serve both defense and civilian sectors: supplying boron for advanced propulsion research while offering a new way to produce safe, low-boron drinking water.