Intrinsic ion-intercalation mechanism and desalination performance of uncoated Na3Fe2(PO4)3 in hybrid capacitive deionization

Synergistic donnan exclusion and size sieving strategy in layered double hydroxide modified nanofiltration membranes for superior desalination performance

Clean energy demands and zero-carbon commitments have stimulated the desire for stable seawater electrolysis, yet device corrosion and catalyst deactivation seriously hinder industrial-scale deployment. Here we present an innovative integrated platform that couples photothermal evaporation and desalinated water electrolysis. Relying on a hydrogen-bonding crosslinking mechanism and anion-induced Hofmeister effects, a lightweight spherical evaporator uniformly coated with a modified needle coke gel film is designed, exhibiting attractive continuous desalination performance (2.32kg m-2 h-1 in 3.5 wt%) and salt-resistant self-cleaning capabilities. Subsequently, two independently improved evaporation-collection systems outperform the traditional configuration during extended all-weather outdoor experiments. Especially, the gas-stripping assisted evaporation system holds powerful resistance capacity to adverse weather, achieving 5 times more water yield on a rainy day. Importantly, their seamless adaptation to anion/cation exchange membrane electrolysis systems has pioneered the long-term application of advanced membrane electrodes in desalinated water electrolysis, cleverly addressing corrosion and catalyst deactivation barriers. This integrated strategy provides a practicable route for energy-saving and large-scale hydrogen extraction from seawater.

Modeling and prediction of desalination performance in a scaled-up membrane capacitive deionization system using machine learning and deep learning.

Mangrove-inspired double-layer aerogel with excellent salt-resistance for efficient interfacial solar steam generation.

Machine learning-guided predictive modeling and optimization of polyamide-based thin-film nanocomposite reverse osmosis membranes.

The sustainable production of clean water is one majorobjectivefor both developing and industrialized regions. Nanoheterostructuresoffer synergistic optical and interfacial functionalities for waterpurification, yet their optimization against desired functions andsustainable synthesis protocols remains challenging. Here, we integratedesign-of-experiments with laser ablation in liquids (LAL) to optimizemultielement Fe–Mn–B nanoparticles (NPs) for interfacialsolar steam generation and water purification. Multiobjective optimizationidentified a B-rich Fe10Mn24B66 LALtarget composition as the Pareto-optimal region, and experimentalvalidation further revealed that laser ablation in acetone producesa compositionally heterogeneous Fe/Mn/B@C nanoarchitecture with thehighest photothermal output. When deposited onto cellulose support,the optimized NPs deliver an evaporation rate of 2.40 ± 0.05kg·m–2·h–1 at 3.5 suns.Translation to electrospun nanofiber membranes enables >5×areascale-up without loss of evaporation rate, providing 0.56 ± 0.02kg·m–2·h–1 under 1 sun,with a >6-fold enhancement relative to the membrane alone. Theevaporatormaintains desalination performance for 5–10 wt % NaCl brineand efficiently removes organic dyes and trace PFAS (PFOA), yieldinglow-conductivity, contaminant-free condensate. Finally, scenario-basedlife-cycle assessment identified electricity as the dominant hotspotat laboratory throughput and mapped a plausible pathway toward lowerfootprints as productivity and downstream manufacturing are improved.

Dual-interface regulation of two-dimensional ZIF-based composite membranes for efficient and stable pervaporation desalination.

Impact of Energy Optimization of a PMSM-Driven High-Pressure Pump on Commercial TFC Membrane Performance in Reverse Osmosis Desalination

pH-mediated polyethyleneimine-based thin-film composite membranes for high-performance pervaporation desalination

Redox-flow desalination (RFD) is a promising alternative to reverse osmosis (RO) for treatment of highly saline waters though the desalination mechanism(s) and optimal operating conditions remain insufficiently understood. Here, we systematically optimize a four-chamber RFD cell for feed NaCl brines up to 36 g L −1 and develop a dynamic one-dimensional model to resolve coupled ion transport, redox kinetics, and water fluxes under constant-voltage operation. Increasing feed salinity enhanced electrical conductivity, reduced ohmic losses, and increased average salt separation rates (ASSRs), achieving a maximum of 1124.4 μg min −1 cm −2 at 36 g L −1 . However, ASSR increase became non-linear as the desalination transitioned from ohmic- to redox kinetics-limited regimes. Optimized redox electrolyte flow rates alleviated mass-transfer limitations and maintained high current efficiency under a low voltage (0.6 V), while brine flow rates and ion-exchange resins (IERs) offered limited benefits at high salinity. Comparative testing of K 3 [Fe(CN) 6 ]/K 4 [Fe(CN) 6 ], Fe 3+ / 2+ –DTPA, and BTMAP–Fc + /Fc identified BTMAP–Fc as a chemically stable, low-toxicity mediator which produced stable desalination with energy consumption (8.8 kWh m −3 ) comparable to that of ferri/ferrocyanide (8.3 kWh m −3 ) at seawater-level salinity. Osmotic and electro-osmotic water transport increased with salinity, leading to 15.3% water loss from the diluate, highlighting the need for low-permeability ion-exchange membranes and optimized operation control. Overall, this study optimizes RFD systems for treating highly saline waters and provides mechanistic insights with implications for redox mediator selection, mass transfer kinetics and water transport for sustainable concentrate management. • Optimized redox flow desalination (RFD) achieved high salt separation rates. • 1D model captured performance for different influent salinities and redox mediators. • Higher electrolyte flow reduced mass-transfer limits at low voltage (0.6 V). • RFD efficiency benefited from multi-stage process incorporating ion-exchange resin. • BTMAP–Fc enabled stable, low-toxicity desalination performance at ~8.8 kWh m −3 .

Tuning d-band width for superior sodium capture in capacitive deionization.

Due to the inherent differences in anion and cation adsorption mechanisms, designing a single Faradaic material that functions as an efficient symmetric capacitive deionization (CDI) electrode for desalination poses a significant challenge. Herein, by employing a simple n-type azabenzene compound, hexaazatrinaphthalene (HATN), as a template, we introduce strong electron-withdrawing cyano (C≡N) groups to drastically reduce its surface electron density, constructing an electron-deficient system with a positive surface potential and a highly positive permanent quadrupole moment (Qzz), denoted as HCNAP. This unique electronic structure triggers anion-π interactions and consequently enables anion adsorption. Meanwhile, the C═N and C≡N groups on the HCNAP skeleton maintain the function of cation adsorption. As a proof of concept, the symmetric CDI device fabricated with HCNAP exhibits outstanding desalination performance in a 500mg L-1 NaCl solution, achieving a salt adsorption capacity of 53.88mg g-1 and a removal rate of 10.1mg g-1 min-1. Theoretical calculations and experimental results clearly reveal the adsorption mechanism of Na+ and Cl-. Besides, HCNAP presents favorable adsorption toward three additional cations and anions. This innovative strategy establishes a new paradigm for constructing bifunctional Faradaic electrodes for highly efficient desalination.

Solar-driven interfacial evaporation has emerged as a promising technology for freshwater production and energy sustainability. It leverages solar energy to efficiently evaporate water, enabling sustainable seawater desalination and wastewater purification. However, designing efficient evaporators that combine rapid water transport and high salt resistance remains a significant challenge. Drawing inspiration from the long-range ordered vasculature and anti-gravity water management mechanisms of taro stem, we fabricated a biomimetic aerogel featuring vertically aligned microchannels through a unidirectional freezing ice templating method. The aerogel integrates a core–shell SiC@C composite as a high-performance photothermal converter, a mechanically robust PVA/PAM double network forming the channel walls, and hydroxyapatite (HA) nanorods serving as both a thermal insulation skeleton and a mechanical reinforcement. In contrast to conventional aerogels with randomly oriented and tortuous pores, the biomimetic honeycomb architectures with vertically aligned channels endow the material with exceptional water transportation, thereby facilitating efficient salt ion diffusion and mitigating salt crystallization. Under 1 sun illumination (1 kW m−2), the aerogel achieves a high evaporation rate of 3.24 kg m−2 h−1, substantially outperforming most reported evaporators with disordered porous structures. The unique vertical channel configuration ensures continuous and stable desalination performance, highlighting its great potential as an effective solution to address global freshwater scarcity.

The advancement of nanotechnology has significantly facilitated the development of thin-film nanocomposite (TFN) reverse osmosis membranes for water desalination. Nevertheless, there are still several issues, including nanomaterial aggregation and low compatibility, that prevent the membrane's performance from reaching the desired level. In this study, graphitic carbon nitride modified with natural tannic acid (TA) macromolecules was adopted as a novel hydrophilic modifier for TFN membranes. The incorporation of this modifier significantly increased the hydrophilicity of the active layer to improve the water permeation ability and formed covalent bonding between the phenolic hydroxyl groups of TA and unreacted acyl chloride groups during interfacial polymerization to enhance nanofiller compatibility with the PA matrix. Consequently, the water permeance of the TFN membrane reached 2.49 L m-2 h-1 bar-1, which was 2.2-fold higher compared to that of unmodified PA membranes (1.13 L m-2 h-1 bar-1), while maintaining a high NaCl rejection rate of 96.1%.

Membrane distillation (MD) is a thermally driven separation process that has attracted attention for its ability to couple with low-grade or renewable heat sources, making it well suited for sustainable water desalination amid rising freshwater demand and climate change pressures. A key open issue remains the optimization of fluid-dynamics within flat-sheet MD modules to minimize flow maldistribution and maximize both heat and mass transfer, and thus module performance. In this work, we numerically investigate and optimize spacer geometries - components that play a critical role in governing these transport processes. Here, using a validated computational fluid dynamics (CFD) approach, we simulate the hydrodynamics and thermal behavior of the direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD) process. Our model is first validated against published experimental data, ensuring that predicted temperature and velocity fields match observed performance metrics. We then conduct an extensive parametric study across a range of novel spacer designs - varying filament shape, orientation, and spacing - to assess their influence on flow uniformity, temperature and concentration polarization, and overall thermal efficiency. Compared to the best performing spacer configuration reported in the literature, our twisted and elliptical spacer geometries achieve up to a 5.4% reduction in temperature polarization coefficient, indicating a measurable enhancement in heat and mass transfer efficiency. These findings provide a clear roadmap for future experimental implementation of innovative spacers in MD modules, with the goal of significantly improving desalination performance and reducing energy consumption.

Novel green synthesis of a Ni–Fe LDH/date seeds nanocomposite for the removal of ciprofloxacin and levofloxacin from aqueous solutions

Effect of redox couples on desalination performance in redox-mediated Electrodialysis

Experimental assessment and numerical modelling of PLA/CA composite membrane performance for desalination via AGMD

Purifying ⁶⁰Co-containing low-level radioactive wastewater via electro-deionization with zirconium phosphate ion-exchange resins.