Challenging POPular opinion: Porous organic polymers for atmospheric water harvesting

As humanity faces growing water scarcity in many parts of the world, innovative solutions are imperative to achieve equitable access to safe drinking water for all. Atmospheric water harvesting (AWH) is a highly promising solution to water scarcity, comprising water adsorption directly from air using hydrophilic adsorbents, followed by collection upon desorption. Porous organic polymers exhibit distinct advantages for AWH, including broad tailorability, desirable porous properties, and outstanding chemical and thermal stability. This perspective outlines the current state-of-the-art in porous organic materials for AWH, distinguishing between reticular and amorphous materials, to discern key properties and outline future design principles. We also outline key performance metrics and provide a guide for the characterisation of such porous organic materials for those seeking to enter the field of AWH.