Pub Date : 2026-06-01Epub Date: 2026-02-27DOI: 10.1016/j.desal.2026.120028
Zhao Liu , Yuan Yuan , Biao Luo , Xiaodong Xu , Stevan Dubljevic
The operation of the solar membrane distillation process (SMDP) is challenging due to the thermodynamic coupling among multiple subsystems and the intermittency of solar energy. This paper proposes an operation strategy for precise temperature regulation under few-shot conditions. First, a coupled physics-informed Kolmogorov-Arnold network (PI-KAN) is introduced as a high-fidelity surrogate model for the SMDP. To address multi-subsystem coupling, a specialized sequential training strategy is designed for the coupled PI-KAN. By decomposing the system into three sequentially trained sub-networks, this architecture effectively reduces the risk of convergence to suboptimal local minima. Furthermore, the ordinary differential equations (ODEs) governing the SMDP are incorporated as soft constraints into the loss function, thereby minimizing reliance on large labeled datasets. Finally, based on the trained coupled PI-KAN model, a hierarchical operation strategy is employed to mitigate energy fluctuations and to calculate optimal setpoints for , , and . The strategy is rigorously validated under both sunny and cloudy weather conditions.
{"title":"Efficient operation strategy for solar membrane distillation process based on the coupled physics-informed Kolmogorov–Arnold network","authors":"Zhao Liu , Yuan Yuan , Biao Luo , Xiaodong Xu , Stevan Dubljevic","doi":"10.1016/j.desal.2026.120028","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.desal.2026.120028","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The operation of the solar membrane distillation process (SMDP) is challenging due to the thermodynamic coupling among multiple subsystems and the intermittency of solar energy. This paper proposes an operation strategy for precise temperature regulation under few-shot conditions. First, a coupled physics-informed Kolmogorov-Arnold network (PI-KAN) is introduced as a high-fidelity surrogate model for the SMDP. To address multi-subsystem coupling, a specialized sequential training strategy is designed for the coupled PI-KAN. By decomposing the system into three sequentially trained sub-networks, this architecture effectively reduces the risk of convergence to suboptimal local minima. Furthermore, the ordinary differential equations (ODEs) governing the SMDP are incorporated as soft constraints into the loss function, thereby minimizing reliance on large labeled datasets. Finally, based on the trained coupled PI-KAN model, a hierarchical operation strategy is employed to mitigate energy fluctuations and to calculate optimal setpoints for <span><math><msub><mrow><mi>T</mi></mrow><mrow><mn>2</mn></mrow></msub></math></span>, <span><math><msub><mrow><mi>F</mi></mrow><mrow><mn>1</mn></mrow></msub></math></span>, and <span><math><msub><mrow><mi>V</mi></mrow><mrow><mn>1</mn></mrow></msub></math></span>. The strategy is rigorously validated under both sunny and cloudy weather conditions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":299,"journal":{"name":"Desalination","volume":"627 ","pages":"Article 120028"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147387452","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-06-01Epub Date: 2026-02-24DOI: 10.1016/j.desal.2026.120014
Zheng Li , Kang-Kang Yan , Hongbiao Liu , Lei Jiao , Xiaoying Zhu , Lin Zhang
The practical implementation of membrane distillation (MD) for water purification is often constrained by the limited availability of membranes that combine robust wetting resistance with a scalable fabrication process. Herein, we present a facile integrated approach, combining surface spraying of carbon nanoparticles (CNPs) with hot-pressing, to engineer a durable hierarchical micro/nanostructure on electrospun polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) nanofibers (CNP@PVDF). The hot-pressing step permanently anchors CNPs onto the fibers, creating a composite interface that maintains stable superhydrophobicity even under harsh conditions such as prolonged ultrasonication and hydrodynamic flow. The resultant hydrophobic rough structure creates an energy barrier that suspends the droplets atop the nano-textured surface. This not only elevates the hydrophobicity but, more critically, substantially enlarges the effective evaporation area at the interface. Compared to the pristine PVDF membrane, the optimal CNP@PVDF membrane achieves a 33.5% higher water flux and a 25.8% longer wetting-resistance time during continuous vacuum membrane distillation (VMD) using a 3.5 wt% NaCl solution as the feed. This work provides a straightforward and scalable strategy for constructing mechanically robust, nanoparticle-anchored membranes, offering a promising route to enhance both the efficiency and operation durability of MD for desalination.
{"title":"Hot-anchoring constructed robust superhydrophobic PVDF electrospun membranes for vacuum membrane distillation","authors":"Zheng Li , Kang-Kang Yan , Hongbiao Liu , Lei Jiao , Xiaoying Zhu , Lin Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.desal.2026.120014","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.desal.2026.120014","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The practical implementation of membrane distillation (MD) for water purification is often constrained by the limited availability of membranes that combine robust wetting resistance with a scalable fabrication process. Herein, we present a facile integrated approach, combining surface spraying of carbon nanoparticles (CNPs) with hot-pressing, to engineer a durable hierarchical micro/nanostructure on electrospun polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) nanofibers (CNP@PVDF). The hot-pressing step permanently anchors CNPs onto the fibers, creating a composite interface that maintains stable superhydrophobicity even under harsh conditions such as prolonged ultrasonication and hydrodynamic flow. The resultant hydrophobic rough structure creates an energy barrier that suspends the droplets atop the nano-textured surface. This not only elevates the hydrophobicity but, more critically, substantially enlarges the effective evaporation area at the interface. Compared to the pristine PVDF membrane, the optimal CNP@PVDF membrane achieves a 33.5% higher water flux and a 25.8% longer wetting-resistance time during continuous vacuum membrane distillation (VMD) using a 3.5 wt% NaCl solution as the feed. This work provides a straightforward and scalable strategy for constructing mechanically robust, nanoparticle-anchored membranes, offering a promising route to enhance both the efficiency and operation durability of MD for desalination.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":299,"journal":{"name":"Desalination","volume":"627 ","pages":"Article 120014"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147387514","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-06-01Epub Date: 2026-02-24DOI: 10.1016/j.desal.2026.120013
Dixiao Xu , Qiong Tian , Dun Wei , Dan Huang , Zhaowen Cheng , Xiaoyan Wu , Yilong Hua , Ying Peng , Xiaowen Zhang , Mi Li
Electrochemically induced in situ crystallization of magnetite with simultaneous uranium (U) doping to form U-doped solid solutions represents a pivotal strategy for achieving long-term, stable U immobilization. However, nitrate ion (NO3−) -oxidizing species in complex U-containing wastewater-tend to induce anodic passivation, resulting in inadequate Fe2+ supply and severe disruption of the reductive environment, alkaline conditions, and Fe2+/Fe3+ ratio essential for magnetite crystallization. Consequently, this triggers a synergistic mismatch among mineralization, doping, and U immobilization processes, significantly compromising U immobilization efficiency. This study proposes a coordinated regulation strategy based on applied voltage and reductive chloride ions (Cl−): Specifically, increasing the applied voltage disrupts the anodic passivation film and enhances cathodic hydrogen evolution to construct an alkaline microenvironment; Cl− inhibits passivation and the oxygen evolution reaction via competitive adsorption, while simultaneously acting as “bridging ions” to promote sustained Fe2+ release and establish a reductive atmosphere. These two regulatory approaches synergistically re-established the conditions required for magnetite crystallization. Experimental results indicated that this strategy simultaneously achieved 85.15% NO3− removal and 99.20% U removal, while reducing the U leaching rate to 15.26%, ensuring long-term secure U sequestration. Furthermore, this work elucidates the inhibitory mechanisms of oxidizing environments on electrochemical U-mineralization, establishes structure-performance correlations between the regulation strategy and the mineralization-U doping process, and broadens the application potential of this technology for treating complex oxidizing U-containing wastewater.
{"title":"Breaking oxidative interference: Electro-induced uranium incorporation into magnetite for nitrate‑uranium co-contaminated wastewater remediation","authors":"Dixiao Xu , Qiong Tian , Dun Wei , Dan Huang , Zhaowen Cheng , Xiaoyan Wu , Yilong Hua , Ying Peng , Xiaowen Zhang , Mi Li","doi":"10.1016/j.desal.2026.120013","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.desal.2026.120013","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Electrochemically induced in situ crystallization of magnetite with simultaneous uranium (U) doping to form U-doped solid solutions represents a pivotal strategy for achieving long-term, stable U immobilization. However, nitrate ion (NO<sub>3</sub><sup>−</sup>) -oxidizing species in complex U-containing wastewater-tend to induce anodic passivation, resulting in inadequate Fe<sup>2+</sup> supply and severe disruption of the reductive environment, alkaline conditions, and Fe<sup>2+</sup>/Fe<sup>3+</sup> ratio essential for magnetite crystallization. Consequently, this triggers a synergistic mismatch among mineralization, doping, and U immobilization processes, significantly compromising U immobilization efficiency. This study proposes a coordinated regulation strategy based on applied voltage and reductive chloride ions (Cl<sup>−</sup>): Specifically, increasing the applied voltage disrupts the anodic passivation film and enhances cathodic hydrogen evolution to construct an alkaline microenvironment; Cl<sup>−</sup> inhibits passivation and the oxygen evolution reaction via competitive adsorption, while simultaneously acting as “bridging ions” to promote sustained Fe<sup>2+</sup> release and establish a reductive atmosphere. These two regulatory approaches synergistically re-established the conditions required for magnetite crystallization. Experimental results indicated that this strategy simultaneously achieved 85.15% NO<sub>3</sub><sup>−</sup> removal and 99.20% U removal, while reducing the U leaching rate to 15.26%, ensuring long-term secure U sequestration. Furthermore, this work elucidates the inhibitory mechanisms of oxidizing environments on electrochemical U-mineralization, establishes structure-performance correlations between the regulation strategy and the mineralization-U doping process, and broadens the application potential of this technology for treating complex oxidizing U-containing wastewater.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":299,"journal":{"name":"Desalination","volume":"627 ","pages":"Article 120013"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147387517","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-06-01Epub Date: 2026-02-16DOI: 10.1016/j.desal.2026.119989
Mohammad Mahbub Kabir , Yeshi Choden , Leonard Tijing , Sherub Phuntsho , JunHo Park , Sang Yong Nam , Ho Kyong Shon
Anion exchange membrane water electrolysis (AEMWE) promises low-cost green hydrogen production but is limited by the anion exchange membranes (AEMs) that must couple high hydroxide (OH−) ion conductivity (IC) with mechanical robustness and alkaline durability. Rigid ether-free poly(carbazole) (PC) backbones help stability, yet transport-swelling trade-offs still cap performance. This study reported ionic liquid-functionalized graphene oxide (ILQ-FGO)-reinforced quaternized poly(carbazole) (QPC) nanocomposite AEMs that integrate a chemically resilient backbone with a cationic two-dimensional (2D) nano-filler to build percolated ion pathways while suppressing excessive swelling. All the AEMs demonstrated a balanced performance of dimensional, mechanical, and electrochemical stability. The optimized QPC-ILQ-FGO-1.5 AEM exhibited the highest IC of 279.3 mS cm−1 at 80 °C, which is approximately a two-fold increase compared to the pristine QPC membrane (156.2 mS cm−1). This membrane also exhibited an impressive single-cell performance, having a peak current density of 4.61 A cm−2 at 2.0 V in 1 M KOH at 60 °C. The mechanical testing suggested an increased tensile strength of 51.55 megapascal (MPa), while alkaline aging (1 M KOH, 60 °C, 504 h) shows ≥92% IC retention by this membrane. The long-term durability testing further validates the robustness of AEMs with a minimal voltage decay rate of 0.35 mV h−1 up to 240 h of stable water electrolysis operation. In summary, the weaving of cation-rich ILQ-FGO into a rigid QPC polymer matrix reconciles the classical transport-stability trade-off, enabling high IC, mechanical strength, and alkaline durability in a scalable platform for advancing high-performing AEMWE technologies.
阴离子交换膜电解（AEMWE）有望实现低成本的绿色制氢，但阴离子交换膜（AEMs）必须将高氢氧离子（OH -）电导率（IC）与机械稳健性和碱性耐久性相结合，因此受到限制。刚性无醚聚咔唑（PC）骨架有助于稳定性，但传输膨胀的权衡仍然限制性能。本研究报道了离子液体功能化氧化石墨烯（ILQ-FGO）增强季铵盐化聚咔唑（QPC）纳米复合材料AEMs，该AEMs将化学弹性骨架与阳离子二维（2D）纳米填料结合在一起，以建立渗透离子途径，同时抑制过度膨胀。所有AEMs均表现出尺寸、机械和电化学稳定性的平衡性能。优化后的QPC- ilq - fgo -1.5 AEM在80°C时的IC最高，为279.3 mS cm−1，比原始QPC膜（156.2 mS cm−1）提高了约两倍。该膜还表现出令人印象深刻的单电池性能，在2.0 V, 1 M KOH， 60°C下具有4.61 a cm−2的峰值电流密度。力学测试表明，该膜的抗拉强度提高了51.55兆帕斯卡（MPa），而碱性老化（1 M KOH, 60°C, 504 h）表明该膜的IC保留率≥92%。长期耐久性测试进一步验证了AEMs的稳健性，在240小时的稳定电解操作中，AEMs的电压衰减率最小，为0.35 mV h - 1。综上所述，将富含阳离子的ILQ-FGO编织成刚性QPC聚合物基质，调和了经典的传输稳定性权衡，在一个可扩展的平台上实现了高集成电路、机械强度和碱性耐久性，从而推进了高性能的AEMWE技术。
{"title":"Ionic liquid-functionalized graphene oxide-reinforced-poly(carbazole) nanocomposite anionic membranes for high-performance water electrolysis","authors":"Mohammad Mahbub Kabir , Yeshi Choden , Leonard Tijing , Sherub Phuntsho , JunHo Park , Sang Yong Nam , Ho Kyong Shon","doi":"10.1016/j.desal.2026.119989","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.desal.2026.119989","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Anion exchange membrane water electrolysis (AEMWE) promises low-cost green hydrogen production but is limited by the anion exchange membranes (AEMs) that must couple high hydroxide (OH<sup>−</sup>) ion conductivity (IC) with mechanical robustness and alkaline durability. Rigid ether-free poly(carbazole) (PC) backbones help stability, yet transport-swelling trade-offs still cap performance. This study reported ionic liquid-functionalized graphene oxide (ILQ-FGO)-reinforced quaternized poly(carbazole) (QPC) nanocomposite AEMs that integrate a chemically resilient backbone with a cationic two-dimensional (2D) nano-filler to build percolated ion pathways while suppressing excessive swelling. All the AEMs demonstrated a balanced performance of dimensional, mechanical, and electrochemical stability. The optimized QPC-ILQ-FGO-1.5 AEM exhibited the highest IC of 279.3 mS cm<sup>−1</sup> at 80 °C, which is approximately a two-fold increase compared to the pristine QPC membrane (156.2 mS cm<sup>−1</sup>). This membrane also exhibited an impressive single-cell performance, having a peak current density of 4.61 A cm<sup>−2</sup> at 2.0 V in 1 M KOH at 60 °C. The mechanical testing suggested an increased tensile strength of 51.55 megapascal (MPa), while alkaline aging (1 M KOH, 60 °C, 504 h) shows ≥92% IC retention by this membrane. The long-term durability testing further validates the robustness of AEMs with a minimal voltage decay rate of 0.35 mV h<sup>−1</sup> up to 240 h of stable water electrolysis operation. In summary, the weaving of cation-rich ILQ-FGO into a rigid QPC polymer matrix reconciles the classical transport-stability trade-off, enabling high IC, mechanical strength, and alkaline durability in a scalable platform for advancing high-performing AEMWE technologies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":299,"journal":{"name":"Desalination","volume":"627 ","pages":"Article 119989"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147387601","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-06-01Epub Date: 2026-02-23DOI: 10.1016/j.desal.2026.120007
Bing Xu , Kai Miao , Shuhang Lu , Kecheng Guan , Dong Zou , Hideto Matsuyama
Ceramic membrane with long service life and excellent chemical stability is promising for membrane distillation (MD) in high-salinity wastewater treatment. However, traditional ceramic membranes face low flux and failure to achieve the desired long-term stability due to the irregular particle packing in the membrane layer. The inferior stability stems from the non-uniform pore size distribution of the membrane layer caused by irregular particles, which further leads to the clogging of large pores by contaminants, such as salt crystals and dye molecules. To enhance the stability of MD performance, spherical and uniform Al2O3 particles were adopted to fabricate membrane layers. These particles can homogenize the pore size distribution of the membrane layer that significantly improves the anti-fouling performance and stability of the membranes. To tackle the problem of low flux, a “prefilling” strategy using polyvinyl butyral (PVB) solution is adopted in this work, which can effectively eliminate the intermediate layer and enhance the MD flux. First of all, the membrane supports were fabricated by optimizing the fabrication parameters, particularly for the sintering aids. In the membrane fabrication process, the PVB concentration and the solid content were investigated in detail. The final pure vapor MD flux of ceramic membranes was 28.91 kg·m−2·h−1 with a mean pore size of 0.24 μm. Subsequently, the superiority of ceramic membranes in treating harsh high-salinity wastewater was demonstrated through three harsh system. They all exhibit favorable flux and stability. In general, this work introduced an innovative approach to fabricate high-performance spherically-structured ceramic membrane for membrane distillation in harsh high-salinity wastewaters.
{"title":"Fabrication of spherically-structured ceramic membrane for harsh high-salinity wastewater treatment via membrane distillation","authors":"Bing Xu , Kai Miao , Shuhang Lu , Kecheng Guan , Dong Zou , Hideto Matsuyama","doi":"10.1016/j.desal.2026.120007","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.desal.2026.120007","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Ceramic membrane with long service life and excellent chemical stability is promising for membrane distillation (MD) in high-salinity wastewater treatment. However, traditional ceramic membranes face low flux and failure to achieve the desired long-term stability due to the irregular particle packing in the membrane layer. The inferior stability stems from the non-uniform pore size distribution of the membrane layer caused by irregular particles, which further leads to the clogging of large pores by contaminants, such as salt crystals and dye molecules. To enhance the stability of MD performance, spherical and uniform Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> particles were adopted to fabricate membrane layers. These particles can homogenize the pore size distribution of the membrane layer that significantly improves the anti-fouling performance and stability of the membranes. To tackle the problem of low flux, a “prefilling” strategy using polyvinyl butyral (PVB) solution is adopted in this work, which can effectively eliminate the intermediate layer and enhance the MD flux. First of all, the membrane supports were fabricated by optimizing the fabrication parameters, particularly for the sintering aids. In the membrane fabrication process, the PVB concentration and the solid content were investigated in detail. The final pure vapor MD flux of ceramic membranes was 28.91 kg·m<sup>−2</sup>·h<sup>−1</sup> with a mean pore size of 0.24 μm. Subsequently, the superiority of ceramic membranes in treating harsh high-salinity wastewater was demonstrated through three harsh system. They all exhibit favorable flux and stability. In general, this work introduced an innovative approach to fabricate high-performance spherically-structured ceramic membrane for membrane distillation in harsh high-salinity wastewaters.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":299,"journal":{"name":"Desalination","volume":"627 ","pages":"Article 120007"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147387569","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-06-01Epub Date: 2026-02-17DOI: 10.1016/j.desal.2026.119995
Quan Yuan , Baixue Liu , Jiarui Chen , Yangshuo Xu , Yue-Biao Zhang , Junyong Zhu , Tao He
Selective monovalent/divalent ion separation by nanofiltration (NF) membranes is critical for a wide range of water treatment and resource recovery applications. Among these, the selective separation of Li+ from brines containing competing Mg2+ and Ca2+ represents a particularly challenging but technologically important example. Herein, a pH-regulated layer-by-layer (LBL) assembly strategy was proposed to fine-tune the pore structure and charge overcompensation of NF membranes based on poly(sodium 4-styrenesulfonate) (PSS) and poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH). The saline-induced rightward shift of the apparent acid dissociation constant (pKa) of PAH enabled unexpected PSS/PAH assembly over a wide pH range of PAH coating solution. At low pH, fully protonated amine groups facilitated the assembly of PSS/PAH multilayers, resulting in a narrow pore size distribution and moderate overcompensation, thereby achieving the best separation performance. Membranes prepared at pH 2 exhibited the highest monovalent/divalent cation selectivity (SLi,Mg = 31.2, SLi,Ca = 21.3) with moderate pure water permeance (10.7 LMH/bar). Reduced amine protonation at pH 10–11 promoted coiled PAH chain conformation and enhanced adsorption/overcompensation, leading to a thicker separation layer with smaller pore size. With increasing pH, PAH aggregates evolved from nanoscale to heterogeneous microscale, resulting in a defective and loose separation layer at pH 12.5 (pure water permeance: 16.7 LMH/bar), despite a markedly increased density of free amine groups. These findings highlighted the crucial role of pH-regulated protonation and aggregation behavior of weak polyelectrolytes (PEs) in determining multilayer growth and separation performance. The work provided a new practical framework for designing highly selective LBL NF membranes through rational manipulation of the chemical environment of PE solutions.
{"title":"pH fine-tuned physicochemical characters and separation performance of layer-by-layer nanofiltration membranes","authors":"Quan Yuan , Baixue Liu , Jiarui Chen , Yangshuo Xu , Yue-Biao Zhang , Junyong Zhu , Tao He","doi":"10.1016/j.desal.2026.119995","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.desal.2026.119995","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Selective monovalent/divalent ion separation by nanofiltration (NF) membranes is critical for a wide range of water treatment and resource recovery applications. Among these, the selective separation of Li<sup>+</sup> from brines containing competing Mg<sup>2+</sup> and Ca<sup>2+</sup> represents a particularly challenging but technologically important example. Herein, a pH-regulated layer-by-layer (LBL) assembly strategy was proposed to fine-tune the pore structure and charge overcompensation of NF membranes based on poly(sodium 4-styrenesulfonate) (PSS) and poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH). The saline-induced rightward shift of the apparent acid dissociation constant (pK<sub>a</sub>) of PAH enabled unexpected PSS/PAH assembly over a wide pH range of PAH coating solution. At low pH, fully protonated amine groups facilitated the assembly of PSS/PAH multilayers, resulting in a narrow pore size distribution and moderate overcompensation, thereby achieving the best separation performance. Membranes prepared at pH 2 exhibited the highest monovalent/divalent cation selectivity (S<sub>Li,Mg</sub> = 31.2, S<sub>Li,Ca</sub> = 21.3) with moderate pure water permeance (10.7 LMH/bar). Reduced amine protonation at pH 10–11 promoted coiled PAH chain conformation and enhanced adsorption/overcompensation, leading to a thicker separation layer with smaller pore size. With increasing pH, PAH aggregates evolved from nanoscale to heterogeneous microscale, resulting in a defective and loose separation layer at pH 12.5 (pure water permeance: 16.7 LMH/bar), despite a markedly increased density of free amine groups. These findings highlighted the crucial role of pH-regulated protonation and aggregation behavior of weak polyelectrolytes (PEs) in determining multilayer growth and separation performance. The work provided a new practical framework for designing highly selective LBL NF membranes through rational manipulation of the chemical environment of PE solutions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":299,"journal":{"name":"Desalination","volume":"627 ","pages":"Article 119995"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147387598","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-06-01Epub Date: 2026-02-23DOI: 10.1016/j.desal.2026.119997
Yi Zhang , Dongdong Li
This study probes ion transport in charged polymer networks of ion-exchange membranes (IEMs) via systematic conductivity measurements on commercial CR61 and CMI-7000S membranes equilibrated with solutions of alkali metal chlorides (0.003 mol/L to near saturation). Using an electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) based direct-contact cell modified to suppress water loss, reproducible data show that conductivity increases rapidly with increasing external salt concentration below 0.1 M. Comparisons with six homogeneous-theory models show that only the scaling-regular-solution (SRS) framework, which treats uncondensed counterion diffusion as electrostatically accelerated hopping (enhanced parameter αSRS = 6–20), correlates the full dataset using the determined scaling factor from the ion partitioning equilibrium data, suggesting a scaling invariance of the charged polymer networks linking ion partitioning to conductivity. Intrinsic diffusion coefficients of uncondensed counterions exceed aqueous values by up to 20×, possibly suggesting “negative-friction” transport in low-tortuosity nanopores with high charge density. The findings suggest that the innovation of advanced IEMs should balance the topology of charged polymer networks, charge density, tortuosity, and the service aqueous solution.
{"title":"From ion partitioning to ion transport: Scaling invariance of the charged polymer network in ion exchange membrane","authors":"Yi Zhang , Dongdong Li","doi":"10.1016/j.desal.2026.119997","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.desal.2026.119997","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study probes ion transport in charged polymer networks of ion-exchange membranes (IEMs) via systematic conductivity measurements on commercial CR61 and CMI-7000S membranes equilibrated with solutions of alkali metal chlorides (0.003 mol/L to near saturation). Using an electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) based direct-contact cell modified to suppress water loss, reproducible data show that conductivity increases rapidly with increasing external salt concentration below 0.1 M. Comparisons with six homogeneous-theory models show that only the scaling-regular-solution (SRS) framework, which treats uncondensed counterion diffusion as electrostatically accelerated hopping (enhanced parameter <em>α</em><sup><em>SRS</em></sup> = 6–20), correlates the full dataset using the determined scaling factor from the ion partitioning equilibrium data, suggesting a scaling invariance of the charged polymer networks linking ion partitioning to conductivity. Intrinsic diffusion coefficients of uncondensed counterions exceed aqueous values by up to 20×, possibly suggesting “negative-friction” transport in low-tortuosity nanopores with high charge density. The findings suggest that the innovation of advanced IEMs should balance the topology of charged polymer networks, charge density, tortuosity, and the service aqueous solution.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":299,"journal":{"name":"Desalination","volume":"627 ","pages":"Article 119997"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147387516","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-06-01Epub Date: 2026-02-24DOI: 10.1016/j.desal.2026.120008
Muhammad Shajih Zafar , Marco Vocciante , Johan Bobacka , Henrik Grénman
Freshwater scarcity driven by climate variability, population growth, and uneven infrastructure is accelerating the need for decentralized water capturing technologies (WCT). Hydrogel-based materials have emerged as versatile platforms for three complementary pathways: solar steam generation (SSG) for desalination, sorption-driven atmospheric water harvesting (AWH), and surface-engineered fog capture (FC). Although numerous hydrogel formulations have been reported, performance metrics vary widely due to inconsistent testing conditions and limited long-term validation, complicating meaningful comparison and practical assessment. This review adopts a unified, mechanism-oriented framework to analyze hydrogel-enabled water capture. We examine how water-state regulation, hierarchical transport architecture, and surface interactions collectively govern heat and mass transfer across SSG, AWH, and FC systems. Rather than focusing only on laboratory performance, we extract frequent functional strategies, identify design trade-offs between sorption strength and regeneration, thermal localization and salt stability, and adhesion versus drainage control, and clarify ongoing discussions regarding evaporation thermodynamics. In addition, we discuss manufacturing scalability, cost-reporting limitations, and system-level integration required for real-world implementation. Finally, we synthesize durability mechanisms, including salt crystallization, microbial growth, UV exposure, mechanical fatigue, and additive migration, and propose standardized laboratory and field reporting parameters to improve reproducibility. By linking polymer design principles to application-specific constraints, this review provides a comparative and application-oriented roadmap for advancing hydrogel-based WCT.
{"title":"From mechanism to deployment: Hydrogel-based solar, atmospheric, and fog water capturing technologies","authors":"Muhammad Shajih Zafar , Marco Vocciante , Johan Bobacka , Henrik Grénman","doi":"10.1016/j.desal.2026.120008","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.desal.2026.120008","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Freshwater scarcity driven by climate variability, population growth, and uneven infrastructure is accelerating the need for decentralized water capturing technologies (WCT). Hydrogel-based materials have emerged as versatile platforms for three complementary pathways: solar steam generation (SSG) for desalination, sorption-driven atmospheric water harvesting (AWH), and surface-engineered fog capture (FC). Although numerous hydrogel formulations have been reported, performance metrics vary widely due to inconsistent testing conditions and limited long-term validation, complicating meaningful comparison and practical assessment. This review adopts a unified, mechanism-oriented framework to analyze hydrogel-enabled water capture. We examine how water-state regulation, hierarchical transport architecture, and surface interactions collectively govern heat and mass transfer across SSG, AWH, and FC systems. Rather than focusing only on laboratory performance, we extract frequent functional strategies, identify design trade-offs between sorption strength and regeneration, thermal localization and salt stability, and adhesion versus drainage control, and clarify ongoing discussions regarding evaporation thermodynamics. In addition, we discuss manufacturing scalability, cost-reporting limitations, and system-level integration required for real-world implementation. Finally, we synthesize durability mechanisms, including salt crystallization, microbial growth, UV exposure, mechanical fatigue, and additive migration, and propose standardized laboratory and field reporting parameters to improve reproducibility. By linking polymer design principles to application-specific constraints, this review provides a comparative and application-oriented roadmap for advancing hydrogel-based WCT.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":299,"journal":{"name":"Desalination","volume":"627 ","pages":"Article 120008"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147387563","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-06-01Epub Date: 2026-03-04DOI: 10.1016/j.desal.2026.120046
Ruixiong Li , Hao Sun , Xuchao Cai , Zi’ao Guo , Xujie Sun , Shijin Liu
To address the coupled challenges of renewable energy integration and freshwater scarcity in coastal regions, this study proposes a novel power-water cogeneration system that deeply integrates a humidification–dehumidification (HDH) desalination unit with a quasi-isothermal compressed air energy storage (CAES) system. Unlike conventional CAES-desalination configurations based on simple series connections or energy cascading, the proposed system achieves three levels of deep coupling: the medium-to-low-grade compression heat from the adiabatic stage directly drives the HDH evaporation process; the liquid piston unit simultaneously accomplishes near-isothermal re-pressurization and supplies its working fluid as the HDH feed, eliminating additional pump work; and the liquid piston replaces the conventional throttle valve for constant-pressure regulation during the discharging phase, thereby reducing throttling losses. A comprehensive thermodynamic and exergy model of the complete charging-storage-discharging cycle is established, with the liquid piston sub-model validated against experimental data. Parametric analyses reveal significant coupled effects among the liquid piston operating conditions, spray parameters, and HDH liquid-to-gas mass ratio on system performance. Under typical conditions, the system achieves a round-trip efficiency of 50.97% and a discharge exergy efficiency of 83.5%, with an approximately 7% efficiency improvement over the throttle-valve-based counterpart system.
{"title":"Comprehensive thermodynamic investigation of a power-water cogeneration system: A quasi-isothermal compressed air energy storage system coupled with humidification–dehumidification seawater desalination","authors":"Ruixiong Li , Hao Sun , Xuchao Cai , Zi’ao Guo , Xujie Sun , Shijin Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.desal.2026.120046","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.desal.2026.120046","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>To address the coupled challenges of renewable energy integration and freshwater scarcity in coastal regions, this study proposes a novel power-water cogeneration system that deeply integrates a humidification–dehumidification (HDH) desalination unit with a quasi-isothermal compressed air energy storage (CAES) system. Unlike conventional CAES-desalination configurations based on simple series connections or energy cascading, the proposed system achieves three levels of deep coupling: the medium-to-low-grade compression heat from the adiabatic stage directly drives the HDH evaporation process; the liquid piston unit simultaneously accomplishes near-isothermal re-pressurization and supplies its working fluid as the HDH feed, eliminating additional pump work; and the liquid piston replaces the conventional throttle valve for constant-pressure regulation during the discharging phase, thereby reducing throttling losses. A comprehensive thermodynamic and exergy model of the complete charging-storage-discharging cycle is established, with the liquid piston sub-model validated against experimental data. Parametric analyses reveal significant coupled effects among the liquid piston operating conditions, spray parameters, and HDH liquid-to-gas mass ratio on system performance. Under typical conditions, the system achieves a round-trip efficiency of 50.97% and a discharge exergy efficiency of 83.5%, with an approximately 7% efficiency improvement over the throttle-valve-based counterpart system.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":299,"journal":{"name":"Desalination","volume":"627 ","pages":"Article 120046"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147387450","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-06-01Epub Date: 2026-02-25DOI: 10.1016/j.desal.2026.120023
Shengbo Yuan , Min Luo , Wenbo Zhou , Jianrong Li , Yue Cao , Kwan San Hui , Yi Yang , Yang Wang , Xiaoman Li , Yongqing Yang , Fuming Chen
Solar-driven photoelectrochemical desalination (SD-PED) presents a promising avenue for freshwater production. However, the research related to photocathode-drive systems is still very limited due to the shortage of suitable cathode electrode materials. Furthermore, the desalination performance of existing photocathode requires significant improvement. In this study, we proposed a novel photocathode desalination system based on CuBi2O4/NiO heterostructure, which was directly fabricated on FTO via ammonium ion-assisted electrodeposition process. This method facilitates the deposition of NiO and CuBi₂O₄, resulting in a robust, high-quality coating with exceptional stability. Under zero-bias conditions and simulated solar illumination, the photocathode demonstrated a high salt removal rate of 54.30 μg/(cm2·min) and a solar desalination capacity of 0.077 μmol/J. This represents one of the best performances reported for a photocathode desalination system. The outstanding cycling stability underscores the potential of this integrated electrode strategy for developing robust, high-performance SD-PED systems, and offers a novel approach for utilizing p-type semiconductors in solar-driven photocatalytic desalination.
{"title":"Ammonium ion-assisted electrodeposition of CuBi2O4/NiO photocathodes for efficient photoelectrochemical desalination","authors":"Shengbo Yuan , Min Luo , Wenbo Zhou , Jianrong Li , Yue Cao , Kwan San Hui , Yi Yang , Yang Wang , Xiaoman Li , Yongqing Yang , Fuming Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.desal.2026.120023","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.desal.2026.120023","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Solar-driven photoelectrochemical desalination (SD-PED) presents a promising avenue for freshwater production. However, the research related to photocathode-drive systems is still very limited due to the shortage of suitable cathode electrode materials. Furthermore, the desalination performance of existing photocathode requires significant improvement. In this study, we proposed a novel photocathode desalination system based on CuBi<sub>2</sub>O<sub>4</sub>/NiO heterostructure, which was directly fabricated on FTO via ammonium ion-assisted electrodeposition process. This method facilitates the deposition of NiO and CuBi₂O₄, resulting in a robust, high-quality coating with exceptional stability. Under zero-bias conditions and simulated solar illumination, the photocathode demonstrated a high salt removal rate of 54.30 μg/(cm<sup>2</sup>·min) and a solar desalination capacity of 0.077 μmol/J. This represents one of the best performances reported for a photocathode desalination system. The outstanding cycling stability underscores the potential of this integrated electrode strategy for developing robust, high-performance SD-PED systems, and offers a novel approach for utilizing p-type semiconductors in solar-driven photocatalytic desalination.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":299,"journal":{"name":"Desalination","volume":"627 ","pages":"Article 120023"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147387515","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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