Pub Date : 2026-05-01Epub Date: 2026-01-29DOI: 10.1016/j.desal.2026.119908
C.A. Casares-De la Torre , N. Velázquez-Limón , R. López-Zavala , J. Ríos-Arriola , G.E. Dévora-Isiordia , S. Islas-Pereda , J.A. Aguilar-Jiménez
This paper evaluates the technical feasibility of a desalination system for the simultaneous production of water and cooling, developed from a novel high-vacuum multi-effect distillation (MED-HV) system (28.3–0.8 kPa). The innovation lies in leveraging the operating conditions to use the product water directly as a refrigerant. The system integrates a barometric ejector-condenser and a three-way valve that regulates the product water flow to an evaporator, allowing the cooling capacity to be adjusted according to demand. The study was conducted in Aspen Plus and validated with experimental results reported in the literature. The MED-HV system achieves a water production of 96.03 m3/d and a cooling capacity of 700 TR (2460 kW). The effect of cooling capacity variation on the ejector-condenser performance and the system's global indicators was analyzed. Compared to commercial desalination and cooling technologies operating in a hybrid manner, the proposed system achieves a Global Coefficient of Performance (COPG) of 9.22 —20.73% higher— and accomplishes a 17.15% reduction in global specific energy consumption, for both desalination (SECG_D: 127.15 kWh/m3) and cooling (SECG_C: 0.73 kWh/TR). These results confirm the potential of the proposed system to efficiently and simultaneously meet water and space conditioning needs.
{"title":"High-vacuum multi-effect desalination system with barometric ejector-condensation for simultaneous water and cooling production","authors":"C.A. Casares-De la Torre , N. Velázquez-Limón , R. López-Zavala , J. Ríos-Arriola , G.E. Dévora-Isiordia , S. Islas-Pereda , J.A. Aguilar-Jiménez","doi":"10.1016/j.desal.2026.119908","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.desal.2026.119908","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This paper evaluates the technical feasibility of a desalination system for the simultaneous production of water and cooling, developed from a novel high-vacuum multi-effect distillation (MED-HV) system (28.3–0.8 kPa). The innovation lies in leveraging the operating conditions to use the product water directly as a refrigerant. The system integrates a barometric ejector-condenser and a three-way valve that regulates the product water flow to an evaporator, allowing the cooling capacity to be adjusted according to demand. The study was conducted in Aspen Plus and validated with experimental results reported in the literature. The MED-HV system achieves a water production of 96.03 m<sup>3</sup>/d and a cooling capacity of 700 TR (2460 kW). The effect of cooling capacity variation on the ejector-condenser performance and the system's global indicators was analyzed. Compared to commercial desalination and cooling technologies operating in a hybrid manner, the proposed system achieves a Global Coefficient of Performance (COP<sub>G</sub>) of 9.22 —20.73% higher— and accomplishes a 17.15% reduction in global specific energy consumption, for both desalination (SEC<sub>G_D</sub>: 127.15 kWh/m<sup>3</sup>) and cooling (SEC<sub>G_C</sub>: 0.73 kWh/TR). These results confirm the potential of the proposed system to efficiently and simultaneously meet water and space conditioning needs.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":299,"journal":{"name":"Desalination","volume":"625 ","pages":"Article 119908"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146186453","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 : 2026-05-01Epub Date: 2026-01-31DOI: 10.1016/j.desal.2026.119932
Xuewen Qu , Chulei Zhao , Yulong Sui , Xiaoyan Wang , Jiao Yin , Anjie Liu , Liping Yang , Hui Zhu
Iron-based materials have presented as promising capacitive dechlorination electrodes due to their low cost, resource abundance, environmental friendliness and satisfactory pseudocapacitive reaction mechanism. However, the undesired dissolution phenomena during cycling brings about the secondary environmental pollution and the irreversible capacity loss inevitably. Herein, inspired by the process of “seed-growth in soil”, nanosized Fe/Fe3C particles (as “seeds”) are rooted and surrounded by nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes (CNTs, as “plants”) onto the cotton-derived carbon matrix (as “soil”) through an interfacial catalysis approach. Combining the electrostatic desalination from the hierarchical porosity and the pseudocapacitive contribution from the Fe2+/Fe3+ redox reaction and the heteroatom doping, the optimized BC-Fe/Fe3C@CNTs delivers a high capacity of 69.12 mg·g−1 at a voltage of 1.0 V, superior to that of other iron-based materials until now. In addition, the integrated formation of the FeN bonds and the graphitic shell suppresses the dissolution of Fe/Fe3C seeds effectively, guaranteeing a satisfactory cycling stability (a capacity retention of 78% for 150 cycles). Most impressively, the obtained material exhibits a dechlorination capacity of 20 mg·g−1 in actual coal chemical wastewater, featuring outstanding chloride ion selectivity in both single-component systems and mixed ion competitions, and stability within a wide pH range of 3 to 11. This seeded growth strategy provides a simple and practical approach to achieve high dechlorination capacity, fast kinetic performance, and long-term cycling stability for advanced water purification.
{"title":"Seed-growth-inspired N-CNTs confining Fe/Fe3C on carbon fibers for stable and selective capacitive dechlorination","authors":"Xuewen Qu , Chulei Zhao , Yulong Sui , Xiaoyan Wang , Jiao Yin , Anjie Liu , Liping Yang , Hui Zhu","doi":"10.1016/j.desal.2026.119932","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.desal.2026.119932","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Iron-based materials have presented as promising capacitive dechlorination electrodes due to their low cost, resource abundance, environmental friendliness and satisfactory pseudocapacitive reaction mechanism. However, the undesired dissolution phenomena during cycling brings about the secondary environmental pollution and the irreversible capacity loss inevitably. Herein, inspired by the process of “seed-growth in soil”, nanosized Fe/Fe<sub>3</sub>C particles (as “seeds”) are rooted and surrounded by nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes (CNTs, as “plants”) onto the cotton-derived carbon matrix (as “soil”) through an interfacial catalysis approach. Combining the electrostatic desalination from the hierarchical porosity and the pseudocapacitive contribution from the Fe<sup>2+</sup>/Fe<sup>3+</sup> redox reaction and the heteroatom doping, the optimized BC-Fe/Fe<sub>3</sub>C@CNTs delivers a high capacity of 69.12 mg·g<sup>−1</sup> at a voltage of 1.0 V, superior to that of other iron-based materials until now. In addition, the integrated formation of the Fe<img>N bonds and the graphitic shell suppresses the dissolution of Fe/Fe<sub>3</sub>C seeds effectively, guaranteeing a satisfactory cycling stability (a capacity retention of 78% for 150 cycles). Most impressively, the obtained material exhibits a dechlorination capacity of 20 mg·g<sup>−1</sup> in actual coal chemical wastewater, featuring outstanding chloride ion selectivity in both single-component systems and mixed ion competitions, and stability within a wide pH range of 3 to 11. This seeded growth strategy provides a simple and practical approach to achieve high dechlorination capacity, fast kinetic performance, and long-term cycling stability for advanced water purification.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":299,"journal":{"name":"Desalination","volume":"625 ","pages":"Article 119932"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146186454","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 : 2026-05-01Epub Date: 2026-02-05DOI: 10.1016/j.desal.2026.119947
Jiajin Hao, Zhijun Yan, Miaolu He, Xinyue Zhang, Xudong Wang, Jin Wang, Junwei Xin, Siyu Hu, Huihui Zhang, Lei Wang
Achieving high-selectivity Cl−/SO42− separation is crucial for water treatment and salt resource recovery. This study aims to precisely regulate ion transport in conductive nanofiltration membranes via in situ applied voltage, thereby overcoming the limitations of conventional separation performance. A conductive NF membrane was fabricated by intercalating glycine-modified graphene oxide (GO) into a reduced graphene oxide (rGO) matrix. Under an applied voltage of 2.0 V, the membrane exhibited pronounced voltage-responsive separation performance for Cl−/SO42−, achieving a separation factor of 25.1. To elucidate the underlying mechanism, DLVO analysis confirmed that the applied voltage selectively enhances electrostatic repulsion toward Na2SO4 at the membrane surface, thereby increasing its rejection, while the effect on NaCl is comparatively limited. Activation energy analysis based on the Arrhenius equation further quantified this difference, revealing that the voltage not only increases the transmembrane energy barrier of Na2SO4 but also partially compensates the dehydration energy barrier of Na+, thus reducing the transport resistance of NaCl. Finally, molecular dynamics simulations revealed voltage-induced ionic dehydration, highlighting its critical role in enhancing ion sieving. Overall, this work expands the understanding of smart NF membrane technologies, offering promising potential for applications in water purification and resource recovery.
{"title":"Enhanced Cl−/SO42− separation with conductive nanofiltration membranes under voltage-induced electrostatic repulsion and ionic dehydration","authors":"Jiajin Hao, Zhijun Yan, Miaolu He, Xinyue Zhang, Xudong Wang, Jin Wang, Junwei Xin, Siyu Hu, Huihui Zhang, Lei Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.desal.2026.119947","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.desal.2026.119947","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Achieving high-selectivity Cl<sup>−</sup>/SO<sub>4</sub><sup>2−</sup> separation is crucial for water treatment and salt resource recovery. This study aims to precisely regulate ion transport in conductive nanofiltration membranes via in situ applied voltage, thereby overcoming the limitations of conventional separation performance. A conductive NF membrane was fabricated by intercalating glycine-modified graphene oxide (GO) into a reduced graphene oxide (rGO) matrix. Under an applied voltage of 2.0 V, the membrane exhibited pronounced voltage-responsive separation performance for Cl<sup>−</sup>/SO<sub>4</sub><sup>2−</sup>, achieving a separation factor of 25.1. To elucidate the underlying mechanism, DLVO analysis confirmed that the applied voltage selectively enhances electrostatic repulsion toward Na<sub>2</sub>SO<sub>4</sub> at the membrane surface, thereby increasing its rejection, while the effect on NaCl is comparatively limited. Activation energy analysis based on the Arrhenius equation further quantified this difference, revealing that the voltage not only increases the transmembrane energy barrier of Na<sub>2</sub>SO<sub>4</sub> but also partially compensates the dehydration energy barrier of Na<sup>+</sup>, thus reducing the transport resistance of NaCl. Finally, molecular dynamics simulations revealed voltage-induced ionic dehydration, highlighting its critical role in enhancing ion sieving. Overall, this work expands the understanding of smart NF membrane technologies, offering promising potential for applications in water purification and resource recovery.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":299,"journal":{"name":"Desalination","volume":"625 ","pages":"Article 119947"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146186460","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 : 2026-05-01Epub Date: 2026-01-28DOI: 10.1016/j.desal.2026.119912
Xiang Li , Lei Fu , Hui Wu , Aiju You , Pengcheng Yao , Yufei Shi
Permanganate (Mn(VII)) has gained increasing attention as a potent oxidant in wastewater treatment. Nevertheless, its relatively limited reactivity toward certain recalcitrant micropollutants has restricted its widespread application in environmental remediation. This study proposes a novel strategy that couples Mn(VII) with sodium percarbonate (SPC) to enhance its oxidative performance, demonstrating a pronounced synergistic effect in the degradation of ciprofloxacin (CIP). Mechanistic investigations revealed that SPC activated Mn(VII) to generate Mn(III), while the in situ-formed MnO2 simultaneously served as an effective catalyst that further promoted Mn(VII)-mediated oxidation pathways. Moreover, the gradual release of low concentrations of H2O2 from SPC decomposition significantly improved the utilization efficiency of both H2O2 and metastable manganese intermediates, thereby ensuring high degradation efficacy. Reaction pathway analysis indicated that CIP transformation primarily proceeded through oxidation and aromatic ring cleavage. In addition, the acute toxicity of CIP was reduced after treatment in the SPC-Mn(VII) process, exhibiting detoxification performance compared to Mn(VII) alone. Importantly, the coupled system also demonstrated the tolerance against interference from common aqueous matrix constituents, maintaining efficient CIP removal in real wastewater. Overall, this work introduces an effective catalytic activation strategy to improve Mn(VII) reactivity and provides fundamental mechanistic insights to inform the design of Mn(VII)-based advanced oxidation processes.
{"title":"Activation of permanganate(VII) with percarbonate for enhanced oxidation of ciprofloxacin: Sustained generation of manganese intermediates","authors":"Xiang Li , Lei Fu , Hui Wu , Aiju You , Pengcheng Yao , Yufei Shi","doi":"10.1016/j.desal.2026.119912","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.desal.2026.119912","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Permanganate (Mn(VII)) has gained increasing attention as a potent oxidant in wastewater treatment. Nevertheless, its relatively limited reactivity toward certain recalcitrant micropollutants has restricted its widespread application in environmental remediation. This study proposes a novel strategy that couples Mn(VII) with sodium percarbonate (SPC) to enhance its oxidative performance, demonstrating a pronounced synergistic effect in the degradation of ciprofloxacin (CIP). Mechanistic investigations revealed that SPC activated Mn(VII) to generate Mn(III), while the in situ-formed MnO<sub>2</sub> simultaneously served as an effective catalyst that further promoted Mn(VII)-mediated oxidation pathways. Moreover, the gradual release of low concentrations of H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> from SPC decomposition significantly improved the utilization efficiency of both H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> and metastable manganese intermediates, thereby ensuring high degradation efficacy. Reaction pathway analysis indicated that CIP transformation primarily proceeded through oxidation and aromatic ring cleavage. In addition, the acute toxicity of CIP was reduced after treatment in the SPC-Mn(VII) process, exhibiting detoxification performance compared to Mn(VII) alone. Importantly, the coupled system also demonstrated the tolerance against interference from common aqueous matrix constituents, maintaining efficient CIP removal in real wastewater. Overall, this work introduces an effective catalytic activation strategy to improve Mn(VII) reactivity and provides fundamental mechanistic insights to inform the design of Mn(VII)-based advanced oxidation processes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":299,"journal":{"name":"Desalination","volume":"625 ","pages":"Article 119912"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146185816","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 : 2026-05-01Epub Date: 2026-02-03DOI: 10.1016/j.desal.2026.119946
Qiao Li, Dairong Chen, Xiuling Jiao
Solar-driven interfacial evaporation technology emerges as a promising solution for sustainable freshwater production. Recent advancements have focused on optimizing photothermal materials' optical absorption, thermal conversion efficiency, and water transport properties to enhance evaporation performance. However, practical applications of evaporation-based systems often face challenges due to inefficient steam condensation and high internal humidity, which reduce overall efficiency and scalability. This study addresses these challenges through an innovative dual-step approach. First, a transparent hydrophilic coating was developed to minimize light refraction and scattering caused by water droplets, thereby improving light utilization efficiency. Second, inspired by natural structures such as spider silk and cactus, a novel composite biomimetic fog collection structure was designed to rapidly condense and remove water vapor, effectively reducing internal humidity. The integration of a three-dimensional (3D) porous hydrogel evaporator and a super-hydrophilic Al2O3/ZnO/PE fiber membrane resulted in a novel interfacial evaporation water collection device. Experimental results demonstrated a 12.20% reduction in internal humidity and a 10.66% increase in collection efficiency compared to traditional systems. Additionally, a hydrophilic SiO2 coating further suppressed light scattering, achieving 87% light utilization efficiency. This innovative design successfully collected approximately 15.32 kg m−2 of freshwater over 8 h under 1-Sun irradiation, showcasing its potential to address critical challenges in solar desalination technology.
太阳能驱动的界面蒸发技术成为可持续淡水生产的一种有前途的解决方案。最近的进展主要集中在优化光热材料的光吸收、热转换效率和水输运性能以提高蒸发性能。然而,由于蒸汽冷凝效率低和内部湿度高,蒸发系统的实际应用往往面临挑战,从而降低了整体效率和可扩展性。本研究通过一种创新的双步骤方法解决了这些挑战。首先,研制透明的亲水性涂层,最大限度地减少水滴引起的光折射和散射,从而提高光的利用效率。其次,以蜘蛛丝、仙人掌等自然结构为灵感,设计了一种新型的复合仿生集雾结构,可以快速凝结和去除水蒸气,有效降低内部湿度。将三维(3D)多孔水凝胶蒸发器与超亲水性Al2O3/ZnO/PE纤维膜相结合,形成了一种新型的界面蒸发集水装置。实验结果表明,与传统系统相比,该系统内部湿度降低了12.20%,收集效率提高了10.66%。此外,亲水SiO2涂层进一步抑制了光散射,实现了87%的光利用效率。这一创新设计在1-Sun照射下,在8小时内成功收集了约15.32 kg m - 2的淡水,展示了其解决太阳能海水淡化技术关键挑战的潜力。
{"title":"Integrating bionic water collecting fabric and 3D hydrogel for significantly enhanced solar-driven interfacial evaporation condensation performance","authors":"Qiao Li, Dairong Chen, Xiuling Jiao","doi":"10.1016/j.desal.2026.119946","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.desal.2026.119946","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Solar-driven interfacial evaporation technology emerges as a promising solution for sustainable freshwater production. Recent advancements have focused on optimizing photothermal materials' optical absorption, thermal conversion efficiency, and water transport properties to enhance evaporation performance. However, practical applications of evaporation-based systems often face challenges due to inefficient steam condensation and high internal humidity, which reduce overall efficiency and scalability. This study addresses these challenges through an innovative dual-step approach. First, a transparent hydrophilic coating was developed to minimize light refraction and scattering caused by water droplets, thereby improving light utilization efficiency. Second, inspired by natural structures such as spider silk and cactus, a novel composite biomimetic fog collection structure was designed to rapidly condense and remove water vapor, effectively reducing internal humidity. The integration of a three-dimensional (3D) porous hydrogel evaporator and a super-hydrophilic Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>/ZnO/PE fiber membrane resulted in a novel interfacial evaporation water collection device. Experimental results demonstrated a 12.20% reduction in internal humidity and a 10.66% increase in collection efficiency compared to traditional systems. Additionally, a hydrophilic SiO<sub>2</sub> coating further suppressed light scattering, achieving 87% light utilization efficiency. This innovative design successfully collected approximately 15.32 kg m<sup>−2</sup> of freshwater over 8 h under 1-Sun irradiation, showcasing its potential to address critical challenges in solar desalination technology.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":299,"journal":{"name":"Desalination","volume":"625 ","pages":"Article 119946"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146186121","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 : 2026-05-01Epub Date: 2026-02-03DOI: 10.1016/j.desal.2026.119945
Junmin Wu , Wenzhe Chen , Kuo Lei , Qin Wang , Yingchun Xie , Zhenzhen Jiang , Yafei Guo , Tianlong Deng , Xiaoping Yu
Geothermal fluids represent a novel source of liquid lithium resources, but extracting lithium from such sources is challenging due to their inherent high-temperature and low-concentration characteristics. Herein, a high-temperature-resistant inorganic composite specifically for lithium extraction from geothermal fluids was developed. By leveraging a high-temperature conversion mechanism, β-Li2TiO3 with enhanced adsorption properties for low-concentration lithium was synthesized in a controllable and large-scale manner. Because using AlOOH·nH2O as the precursor for Al2O3 enables the preparation of β-Al2O3 without inducing a crystal phase transformation in β-Li2TiO3. It allows an in situ conversion procedure to produce β-Al2O3-supported β-Li2TiO3 (Li2TiO3/β-Al2O3) with high thermal stability and a large specific surface area. To achieve granulation of the highly viscous AlOOH·nH₂O slurry containing β-Li2TiO3, a droplet-forming device equipped with a high-pressure pneumatic metering pump was further designed and constructed, by which the large-scale preparation of Li2TiO3/β-Al2O3 was accomplished. Investigation into the adsorption mechanism and kinetics of Li2TiO3/β-Al2O3 revealed that lithium uptake is primarily driven by β-Li2TiO3, and elevated temperatures favor the extraction process. When applied to a high-temperature (353 K) geothermal fluid containing low-concentration lithium (25.85 mg·L−1), an adsorption capacity of 22.92 mg·g−1 with more than 90% recovery rate was achieved. Because of the minimal environmental impact, this method offers a promising strategy for sustainable lithium extraction from geothermal fluids.
{"title":"Green recovery of low-concentration lithium from high-temperature geothermal fluids","authors":"Junmin Wu , Wenzhe Chen , Kuo Lei , Qin Wang , Yingchun Xie , Zhenzhen Jiang , Yafei Guo , Tianlong Deng , Xiaoping Yu","doi":"10.1016/j.desal.2026.119945","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.desal.2026.119945","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Geothermal fluids represent a novel source of liquid lithium resources, but extracting lithium from such sources is challenging due to their inherent high-temperature and low-concentration characteristics. Herein, a high-temperature-resistant inorganic composite specifically for lithium extraction from geothermal fluids was developed. By leveraging a high-temperature conversion mechanism, <em>β</em>-Li<sub>2</sub>TiO<sub>3</sub> with enhanced adsorption properties for low-concentration lithium was synthesized in a controllable and large-scale manner. Because using AlOOH·nH<sub>2</sub>O as the precursor for Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> enables the preparation of <em>β</em>-Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> without inducing a crystal phase transformation in <em>β</em>-Li<sub>2</sub>TiO<sub>3</sub>. It allows an in situ conversion procedure to produce <em>β</em>-Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>-supported <em>β</em>-Li<sub>2</sub>TiO<sub>3</sub> (Li<sub>2</sub>TiO<sub>3</sub>/<em>β</em>-Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>) with high thermal stability and a large specific surface area. To achieve granulation of the highly viscous AlOOH·nH₂O slurry containing <em>β</em>-Li<sub>2</sub>TiO<sub>3</sub>, a droplet-forming device equipped with a high-pressure pneumatic metering pump was further designed and constructed, by which the large-scale preparation of Li<sub>2</sub>TiO<sub>3</sub>/<em>β</em>-Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> was accomplished. Investigation into the adsorption mechanism and kinetics of Li<sub>2</sub>TiO<sub>3</sub>/<em>β</em>-Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> revealed that lithium uptake is primarily driven by <em>β</em>-Li<sub>2</sub>TiO<sub>3</sub>, and elevated temperatures favor the extraction process. When applied to a high-temperature (353 K) geothermal fluid containing low-concentration lithium (25.85 mg·L<sup>−1</sup>), an adsorption capacity of 22.92 mg·g<sup>−1</sup> with more than 90% recovery rate was achieved. Because of the minimal environmental impact, this method offers a promising strategy for sustainable lithium extraction from geothermal fluids.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":299,"journal":{"name":"Desalination","volume":"625 ","pages":"Article 119945"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146186451","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 : 2026-05-01Epub Date: 2026-01-31DOI: 10.1016/j.desal.2026.119913
Nurul F. Himma , Harald Horn , Florencia Saravia , Michael Wagner
Optical coherence tomography (OCT) has been considered as a non-invasive imaging tool to provide real-time, local information of wetting in membrane distillation (MD). However, the follow-up research question is how to quantitatively assess the localized wetting development in order to prevent system failure. This study aims to develop a quantification method based on the changes in the intensity distribution within OCT three-dimensional datasets (volume scan, C-scans). The achieved maps elucidate the wetting depth (e.g., wetting progress) across the membrane area in various cases. Severe wetting with homogeneous and heterogeneous distribution, and even subtle wetting have been quantified successfully. Results indicate that an increase in the volume of wetted membrane (expressed as the wetting ratio) does not necessarily correspond to an increase in the membrane area that is fully wetted (expressed as fully-wetted fraction), revealing the limiting parameter for deterioration in condensate quality. Additionally, the underlying mechanism governing the wetting behavior was also discussed based on the quantified wetting parameters. This OCT-based method would be helpful to investigate wetting not only for MD but also potentially for other membrane processes involving two-phase flow such as gas–liquid membrane contactors and membrane biofilm reactors.
{"title":"Novel approaches for quantitative assessments of wetting development in membrane distillation based on optical coherence tomography","authors":"Nurul F. Himma , Harald Horn , Florencia Saravia , Michael Wagner","doi":"10.1016/j.desal.2026.119913","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.desal.2026.119913","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Optical coherence tomography (OCT) has been considered as a non-invasive imaging tool to provide real-time, local information of wetting in membrane distillation (MD). However, the follow-up research question is how to quantitatively assess the localized wetting development in order to prevent system failure. This study aims to develop a quantification method based on the changes in the intensity distribution within OCT three-dimensional datasets (volume scan, C-scans). The achieved maps elucidate the wetting depth (e.g., wetting progress) across the membrane area in various cases. Severe wetting with homogeneous and heterogeneous distribution, and even subtle wetting have been quantified successfully. Results indicate that an increase in the volume of wetted membrane (expressed as the wetting ratio) does not necessarily correspond to an increase in the membrane area that is fully wetted (expressed as fully-wetted fraction), revealing the limiting parameter for deterioration in condensate quality. Additionally, the underlying mechanism governing the wetting behavior was also discussed based on the quantified wetting parameters. This OCT-based method would be helpful to investigate wetting not only for MD but also potentially for other membrane processes involving two-phase flow such as gas–liquid membrane contactors and membrane biofilm reactors.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":299,"journal":{"name":"Desalination","volume":"625 ","pages":"Article 119913"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146186457","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 : 2026-05-01Epub Date: 2026-02-01DOI: 10.1016/j.desal.2026.119921
Walter P. Parker Jr. , Jordan D. Kocher , Michael J. Adams , Taekyu Kim , Akanksha K. Menon
Conventional desalination technologies have low water recoveries, consume high-grade energy, and require substantial pretreatment and maintenance. To address this, we introduce a combined brine concentrator and crystallizer based on Air Gap Diffusion Distillation (AGDD) that operates without membranes or tube bundles that are prone to scaling or corrosion. A counterflow heat exchanger design is used for latent heat recovery (which minimizes external energy needed), and film-wise evaporation occurs on patterned polymeric heat transfer surfaces (which kinetically hinders salt precipitation and minimizes interfacial adhesion). These design characteristics are leveraged in a bench-scale prototype to demonstrate brine concentration from 7 to 20 wt% (minimal liquid discharge with 70% water recovery), which produces permeate of potable water quality. Further concentration to saturation conditions at 26 wt% demonstrates zero liquid discharge (ZLD), with effective removal of precipitated salts from the evaporator surface. This highlights AGDD's ability to transform brine into freshwater and a source for minerals recovery.
{"title":"Combined brine concentration and crystallization using air gap diffusion distillation for high-salinity desalination","authors":"Walter P. Parker Jr. , Jordan D. Kocher , Michael J. Adams , Taekyu Kim , Akanksha K. Menon","doi":"10.1016/j.desal.2026.119921","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.desal.2026.119921","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Conventional desalination technologies have low water recoveries, consume high-grade energy, and require substantial pretreatment and maintenance. To address this, we introduce a combined brine concentrator and crystallizer based on Air Gap Diffusion Distillation (AGDD) that operates without membranes or tube bundles that are prone to scaling or corrosion. A counterflow heat exchanger design is used for latent heat recovery (which minimizes external energy needed), and film-wise evaporation occurs on patterned polymeric heat transfer surfaces (which kinetically hinders salt precipitation and minimizes interfacial adhesion). These design characteristics are leveraged in a bench-scale prototype to demonstrate brine concentration from 7 to 20 wt% (minimal liquid discharge with 70% water recovery), which produces permeate of potable water quality. Further concentration to saturation conditions at 26 wt% demonstrates zero liquid discharge (ZLD), with effective removal of precipitated salts from the evaporator surface. This highlights AGDD's ability to transform brine into freshwater and a source for minerals recovery.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":299,"journal":{"name":"Desalination","volume":"625 ","pages":"Article 119921"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146186458","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 : 2026-04-15Epub Date: 2026-01-14DOI: 10.1016/j.desal.2026.119878
Ruduan Yuan , Jiacheng Wang , Yuting He , Yang Geng , Jinshuai Wang , Meng Xia , Kaixin Wang , Jiaxin Luo , Zhaoyu Chen , Qinglin Zhang , Jingxuan Lin , Yuxi Yang , Juanxiu Xiao , Yujie Zheng , Chin Foo Goh , Meng Li
Freshwater scarcity and the environmental impact of fossil-fuel–driven desalination have driven the need for low-energy, sustainable seawater treatment technologies. Both inverted solar evaporation (ISE) and capacitive deionization (CDI) technologies show promising application prospects in seawater desalination. However, the inherent limitations restrict freshwater production. Herein, we present a multistage high-flux photothermal-electric coupled desalinator (HPED) integrating ISE and CDI, enabling simultaneous high water-production and high-efficiency desalination. The synergistic effect of thermal and electric fields mitigates the limitations of both technologies. Specifically, the introduction of the electric field reduces the evaporation enthalpy of seawater in the ISE and inhibits the generation of salt crystals, while the thermal field accelerates the ion transport and improves the desalination rate. As a result, the five-stage HPED achieves a distillation yield of 3.25 kg m−2 h−1 (distilled water yield: 15.24 kg m−2 day−1) and a high desalination capacity of 2.05 g m-2 (capacitive deionized water yield: 78.65 kg m−2 day−1) under one sun illumination (1000 W m−2). Therefore, the proposed HPED system efficiently produces fresh water for domestic use and irrigation, providing a sustainable approach to simultaneously addressing the interconnected challenges of energy security, water security and food production.
淡水短缺和化石燃料驱动的海水淡化对环境的影响促使人们需要低能耗、可持续的海水处理技术。倒转太阳蒸发(ISE)技术和电容去离子(CDI)技术在海水淡化中都有很好的应用前景。然而,固有的限制限制了淡水的生产。在此,我们提出了一种集成ISE和CDI的多级高通量光热电耦合脱盐器(HPED),可以同时实现高产水量和高效脱盐。热和电场的协同效应减轻了这两种技术的局限性。具体而言,电场的引入降低了ISE中海水的蒸发焓,抑制了盐晶体的生成,而热场则加速了离子的输运,提高了脱盐速率。因此,在一次太阳光照(1000 W m−2)下,五阶段HPED的蒸馏水产率为3.25 kg m−2 h−1(蒸馏水产率:15.24 kg m−2 day−1),脱盐能力为2.05 g m−2(电容去离子水产率:78.65 kg m−2 day−1)。因此,拟议的HPED系统有效地为家庭用水和灌溉生产淡水,为同时解决能源安全、水安全和粮食生产等相互关联的挑战提供了一种可持续的方法。
{"title":"Synergistic high-flux desalination via multistage photothermal-electric coupling","authors":"Ruduan Yuan , Jiacheng Wang , Yuting He , Yang Geng , Jinshuai Wang , Meng Xia , Kaixin Wang , Jiaxin Luo , Zhaoyu Chen , Qinglin Zhang , Jingxuan Lin , Yuxi Yang , Juanxiu Xiao , Yujie Zheng , Chin Foo Goh , Meng Li","doi":"10.1016/j.desal.2026.119878","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.desal.2026.119878","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Freshwater scarcity and the environmental impact of fossil-fuel–driven desalination have driven the need for low-energy, sustainable seawater treatment technologies. Both inverted solar evaporation (ISE) and capacitive deionization (CDI) technologies show promising application prospects in seawater desalination. However, the inherent limitations restrict freshwater production. Herein, we present a multistage high-flux photothermal-electric coupled desalinator (HPED) integrating ISE and CDI, enabling simultaneous high water-production and high-efficiency desalination. The synergistic effect of thermal and electric fields mitigates the limitations of both technologies. Specifically, the introduction of the electric field reduces the evaporation enthalpy of seawater in the ISE and inhibits the generation of salt crystals, while the thermal field accelerates the ion transport and improves the desalination rate. As a result, the five-stage HPED achieves a distillation yield of 3.25 kg m<sup>−2</sup> h<sup>−1</sup> (distilled water yield: 15.24 kg m<sup>−2</sup> day<sup>−1</sup>) and a high desalination capacity of 2.05 g m-2 (capacitive deionized water yield: 78.65 kg m<sup>−2</sup> day<sup>−1</sup>) under one sun illumination (1000 W m<sup>−2</sup>). Therefore, the proposed HPED system efficiently produces fresh water for domestic use and irrigation, providing a sustainable approach to simultaneously addressing the interconnected challenges of energy security, water security and food production.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":299,"journal":{"name":"Desalination","volume":"624 ","pages":"Article 119878"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2026-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146024900","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 : 2026-04-15Epub Date: 2026-01-16DOI: 10.1016/j.desal.2026.119879
Shengyu Wu , Wenle Xing , Kunyue Luo , Yong Long , Jiao Yi , Xinnian Wang , Wangwang Tang
Lead ions (Pb2+) in water pose significant threats to human health and ecological safety. However, diverse metal ions may coexist, and the highly efficient and selective removal of Pb2+ from water is a great challenge. This study innovatively proposed an asymmetric electrochemical separation technique with redox-active mesoporous carbon hollow sphere@covalent organic framework (MCHS@COF) composite as the cathode to selectively remove Pb2+ from complex water matrix. Specifically, COFs featuring a conjugated aromatic framework and bearing abundant nitrogen and oxygen heteroatoms were grown in-situ hydrothermally on the MCHS. This configuration allowed rapid ion transport kinetics, inhibited COF aggregation, exposed abundant active sites for Pb2+ capture, and enhanced electrode conductivity and stability through the synergistic effects of electrostatic interaction and coordination interaction. Results revealed that, after 120-min treatment at 1.2 V, hybridization of MCHS and COF in an appropriate ratio (e.g., MCHS@COF-1) achieved a high Pb2+ removal efficiency of 96%, a remarkable Pb2+/Na+ selectivity of 8.7 and a low effluent Pb2+ concentration of 0.4 mg L−1 when treating a mixed solution of 10 mg L−1 Pb2+ and 100 mg L−1 Na+. Furthermore, it demonstrated exceptional electrode regeneration and cycling stability, and exhibited a high Pb2+ removal selectivity versus other common metal ions (K+, Ca2+, Mg2+, Ni2+, Fe3+, Cd2+, etc.). Experimental investigation and theoretical calculation revealed the mechanism and provided a fundamental understanding of the preferential capture and selectivity of the developed electrode for Pb2+. This study boosts the technological advancement in the field of selective removal of heavy metals from multicomponent wastewater.
{"title":"Electrochemically highly selective removal of lead ions from multicomponent water via synergy from covalent organic framework and hollow mesoporous carbon sphere","authors":"Shengyu Wu , Wenle Xing , Kunyue Luo , Yong Long , Jiao Yi , Xinnian Wang , Wangwang Tang","doi":"10.1016/j.desal.2026.119879","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.desal.2026.119879","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Lead ions (Pb<sup>2+</sup>) in water pose significant threats to human health and ecological safety. However, diverse metal ions may coexist, and the highly efficient and selective removal of Pb<sup>2+</sup> from water is a great challenge. This study innovatively proposed an asymmetric electrochemical separation technique with redox-active mesoporous carbon hollow sphere@covalent organic framework (MCHS@COF) composite as the cathode to selectively remove Pb<sup>2+</sup> from complex water matrix. Specifically, COFs featuring a conjugated aromatic framework and bearing abundant nitrogen and oxygen heteroatoms were grown in-situ hydrothermally on the MCHS. This configuration allowed rapid ion transport kinetics, inhibited COF aggregation, exposed abundant active sites for Pb<sup>2+</sup> capture, and enhanced electrode conductivity and stability through the synergistic effects of electrostatic interaction and coordination interaction. Results revealed that, after 120-min treatment at 1.2 V, hybridization of MCHS and COF in an appropriate ratio (e.g., MCHS@COF-1) achieved a high Pb<sup>2+</sup> removal efficiency of 96%, a remarkable Pb<sup>2+</sup>/Na<sup>+</sup> selectivity of 8.7 and a low effluent Pb<sup>2+</sup> concentration of 0.4 mg L<sup>−1</sup> when treating a mixed solution of 10 mg L<sup>−1</sup> Pb<sup>2+</sup> and 100 mg L<sup>−1</sup> Na<sup>+</sup>. Furthermore, it demonstrated exceptional electrode regeneration and cycling stability, and exhibited a high Pb<sup>2+</sup> removal selectivity versus other common metal ions (K<sup>+</sup>, Ca<sup>2+</sup>, Mg<sup>2+</sup>, Ni<sup>2+</sup>, Fe<sup>3+</sup>, Cd<sup>2+</sup>, etc.). Experimental investigation and theoretical calculation revealed the mechanism and provided a fundamental understanding of the preferential capture and selectivity of the developed electrode for Pb<sup>2+</sup>. This study boosts the technological advancement in the field of selective removal of heavy metals from multicomponent wastewater.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":299,"journal":{"name":"Desalination","volume":"624 ","pages":"Article 119879"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2026-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146024921","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}