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Short nanopores find extensive applications, capitalizing on their high throughput and detection resolution. Ionic behaviors through long nanopores are mainly determined by charged inner-pore walls. When pore lengths decrease to sub-200 nm, charged exterior surfaces provide considerable modulation to ion current. We find that the charge status of inner-pore walls affects the modulation of ion current from charged exterior surfaces. For 50-nm-long nanopores with neutral inner-pore walls, the charged exterior surfaces on the voltage (surfaceV) and ground (surfaceG) sides enhance and inhibit the ion transport by forming ion enrichment and depletion zones inside nanopores, respectively. For nanopores with both charged inner-pore and exterior surfaces, continuous electric double layers enhance the ion transport through nanopores significantly. The charged surfaceV results in higher ion current by simultaneously weakening the ion depletion at pore entrances and enhancing the intra-pore ion enrichment. The charged surfaceG expedites the exit of ions from nanopores, resulting in a decrease in ion enrichment at pore exits. Through adjustment in the width of charged-ring regions near pore boundaries, the effective charged width of the charged exterior is explored at ∼20 nm. Our results may provide a theoretical guide for further optimizing the performance of nanopore-based applications, such as seawater desalination, biosensing, and osmotic energy conversion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, solar‐driven interfacial evaporation (SDIE) has been developed quickly for low‐cost and sustainable seawater desalination, but addressing the conflict between a high evaporation rate and salt rejection during SDIE is still challenging. Here, a spatial confinement strategy is proposed to prepare the gel composite solar evaporator (SCE) by loading one thin hydrogel layer onto the skeleton of a carbon aerogel. The SCE retains the hierarchically porous structure of carbon aerogels with an optimized water supply induced by dual‐driven forces (capillary effects and osmotic pressure) and takes advantage of both aerogels and hydrogels, which can gain energy from air and reduce water enthalpy. The SCE has a high evaporation rate (up to 4.23 kg m−2 h−1 under one sun) and excellent salt rejection performance and can maintain structural integrity after long‐term evaporation even at high salinities. The SDIE behavior, including heat distribution, water transport, and salt ion distribution, is investigated by combining theoretical simulations and experimental results. This work provides new inspiration and a theoretical basis for the development of high‐performance interfacial evaporators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cement industry is a widely used and energy-consuming sector, making it one of the largest CO 2 emitters, primarily to meet its energy demands. Therefore, this research aims to evaluate the waste heat recovery process from a cement factory to fulfill a portion of its energy requirements. In this study, four scenarios have been evaluated, including power production scenarios, hydrogen production scenarios, methanation production process evaluation scenarios, blending hydrogen with natural gas, oxy-fuel combustion scenarios, and scenarios for producing the required freshwater for the factory and the water electrolysis process. The results show that the steam Rankine cycle with the reheating process and the organic Rankine cycle with methanol working fluid with a production capacity of 24.35 MW, and a payback period of 2.4 years with levelized cost of energy being 0.005809 $/kWh, is the most favorable scenario for the power generation cycle. Also, the process of alkaline electrolysis with a hydrogen production rate of 0.1648 kg/s, and a payback period of 5.816 years, and also with the levelized cost of hydrogen being 1.001 $/kg, happened to be the most suitable hydrogen production scenario compared to other electrolysis scenarios such as PEM and SOEC. Moreover, the process of water desalination by reverse osmosis with the energy consumption of 2.7 MW of power is capable of supplying all the required water of the factory and the water electrolysis process, and it was determined as the most suitable scenario for supplying the required water. • 4E analyses of four power generation scenarios is performed for WHR in cement plants. • Comparing power generation scenarios shows RC with reheating as the most favorable. • Alkaline electrolysis emerges as the top scenario for hydrogen production. • ORC systems with reheating show energy and economic advantages despite lower power. • Reheating in steam RC yields highest power production and economic viability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solar desalination is a promising solution for alleviating water scarcity due to its low‐cost, environmentally friendly, and off‐grid capabilities. However, simultaneous salt rejection and heat localization remain challenging, as the rapid salt convection often results in considerable heat loss. Herein, this challenge is overcome via a facile design: i) isolating high‐temperature and high‐salt zones by rationally designing morning glory‐shaped wick structures and ii) bridging high‐salt zones and bulk water with low‐tortuosity macrochannels across low‐temperature surfaces. The salinity gradient in the macrochannels passively triggers convective flow, facilitating the rapid transfer of salt ions from the high‐salt zone to the bulk water. Meanwhile, the macrochannels are spatially isolated from the high‐temperature zone, preventing heat loss during salt convection and thereby achieving a high evaporation rate (≈3 kg m−2 h−1) and superior salt rejection even in highly concentrated real seawater. This work provides new insights into salt rejection strategies and advances practical applications for sustainable seawater desalination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ice‐templating is a versatile method for constructing macro‐porous hydrophilic polymer materials. However, the ice‐templating method is generally limited by high energy cost and low efficiency for large‐scale fabrication. Further, due to its hydrophilic nature, the constructed materials are vulnerable to water swelling and have poor structural stability. Here, an Ice‐Dissolving‐Crosslinking (IDCr) method is developed for efficient and large‐scale preparation of polyelectrolyte monoliths with ultra‐stability in aqueous environment. Specifically, Ice‐Dissolving in water‐miscible organic solvent is responsible for pore creation, while subsequent Crosslinking ensures pore structures stabilization. The macro‐porous architecture of materials, taking sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) as a polyelectrolyte example and trimesoyl chloride (TMC) as the crosslinker, CMC‐TMCIDCr is made much stabler as compared with the case of conventional Lyophilization‐Crosslinking technique (CMC‐TMCLC). The IDCr method is applicable to various hydrophilic polyelectrolytes and hybrids for long‐time use in water and brines, as exemplified by CMC‐TMC‐carbon nanotubes monolith, which exhibits high performance in solar thermal desalination process. This novel approach opens up new opportunities for the construction of porous monoliths with efficient preparation and excellent water stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: A flow-bed water purification system with an asymmetric solar-thermal and catalytic membrane is designed for synergistic solar-thermal desalination of seawater/brine and catalytic degradation of organic pollutants. The hydrogen bonding networks can be regulated by the abundant surface –OH groups and the in situ generated ions and radicals during the degradation process for promoting solar-driven steam generation. The de-solvation of solvated Na+ and subsequent nucleation/growth of NaCl are effectively inhibited by SO42−/HSO5− ions. Although solar steam generation strategy is efficient in desalinating seawater, it is still challenging to achieve continuous solar-thermal desalination of seawater and catalytic degradation of organic pollutants. Herein, dynamic regulations of hydrogen bonding networks and solvation structures are realized by designing an asymmetric bilayer membrane consisting of a bacterial cellulose/carbon nanotube/Co2(OH)2CO3 nanorod top layer and a bacterial cellulose/Co2(OH)2CO3 nanorod (BCH) bottom layer. Crucially, the hydrogen bonding networks inside the membrane can be tuned by the rich surface –OH groups of the bacterial cellulose and Co2(OH)2CO3 as well as the ions and radicals in situ generated during the catalysis process. Moreover, both SO42− and HSO5− can regulate the solvation structure of Na+ and be adsorbed more preferentially on the evaporation surface than Cl−, thus hindering the de-solvation of the solvated Na+ and subsequent nucleation/growth of NaCl. Furthermore, the heat generated by the solar-thermal energy conversion can accelerate the reaction kinetics and enhance the catalytic degradation efficiency. This work provides a flow-bed water purification system with an asymmetric solar-thermal and catalytic membrane for synergistic solar thermal desalination of seawater/brine and catalytic degradation of organic pollutants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid industrialization and ever‐increasing global population culminate in continuous upsurge in freshwater crisis worldwide. The most reliable and promising solution to this crisis is utilizing sea‐water as the freshwater source, and desalination technologies pave the way for efficient production of freshwater from sea‐water. In this regard, membrane‐based desalination method comes forth owing to its' efficient separation, operational ease, and low‐energy consumption. Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), the most explored crystalline porous materials, show tremendous promise as membrane‐materials for desalination owing to their structural diversity, tunability, and porous voids which provide secondary water channels. Given significant advances are made in MOF‐materials for desalination in the past few years, it is crucial to systematically summarize the recent progress and development of this field. In this review, a brief overview of various saline water systems and prerequisites for desalination are first presented. Then, advanced fabrication strategies MOF‐membranes followed by the recent progress in MOF‐materials for various desalination processes such as reverse osmosis and forward osmosis are systematically summarized. Finally, the authors' perspectives on the unsolved scientific and technical challenges and opportunities for MOF‐integrated membranes toward real‐world implementation are proposed. With further systematic development, MOF‐materials promise to provide an ideal platform for next‐generation desalination technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ions in seawater hinder direct sewage electrolysis due to the extreme corrosion of Cl− to the anode and reaction of Mg2+ and Ca2+ on the cathode producing solid substances, which reduce the electrolytic efficiency. However, traditional desalination consuming fossil fuel with massive CO2 emissions threatens human survival. Therefore, zero‐carbon emission, ultra‐durable, large‐scale production of freshwater from seawater for water electrolysis is urgently needed. Herein, a multifunctional system for seawater is demonstrated electrolysis based on ultra‐durable solar desalination outdoors. The solar evaporators reach an evaporation flux of 1.88 kg m−2 h−1 with a photothermal conversion efficiency of solar energy as high as 91.3% with excellent ultra‐durable salt resistance even for saturated saltwater due to the Marangoni effects. Moreover, the condensation of pure water from solar desalination based on the evaporation system reaches 0.54 L m−2 h−1 outdoors, which is suitable for a 20 cm × 20 cm engineered electrode equipped with a Janus membrane powered by a solar panel to produce H2 outdoors. The ultrafast unidirectional transport of H2 bubbles enabled by Janus membranes can greatly improve the H2 production efficiency at a rate approaching 85 mL h−1 for continuous 24 h outdoors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractThis paper addresses the global issue of water scarcity and the need for sustainable development by exploring eco-friendly desalination technology – solar still. Although solar still has lower productivity compared to conventional fossil-fueled desalination technologies, much research is being conducted to enhance its productivity. Most studies focus solely on optimizing water mass in solar still, neglecting other correlated factors. Hence, this paper presents mathematical modeling and experimental studies on the impact of water mass, initial temperature, and solar insolation on solar still performance in Polish weather conditions. The findings reveal that solar still productivity ranges from 215 mL/m2/day to 5079 mL/m2/day between June and October in Poland. It is observed that solar still productivity decreases with increasing water mass beyond the critical threshold of solar insolation on the glass cover plane, which is 2.676 kWh/m2/day. However, below that threshold, the effect of water mass on the solar still productivity strongly depends on its initial temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The depletion of fossil fuels has become a significant global issue, prompting scientists to explore and refine methods for harnessing alternative energy sources. This study provides a comprehensive review of advancements and emerging technologies in the desalination industry, focusing on technological improvements and economic considerations. The analysis highlights the potential synergies of integrating multiple renewable energy systems to enhance desalination efficiency and minimise environmental consequences. The main areas of focus include aligning developing technologies like membrane distillation, pervaporation and forward osmosis with renewable energy and implementing hybrid renewable energy systems to improve the scalability and economic viability of desalination enterprises. The study also analyses obstacles related to desalination driven by renewable energy, including energy storage, fluctuations in energy supply, and deployment costs. By resolving these obstacles and investigating novel methodologies, the study enhances the understanding of how renewable energy can be used to construct more efficient, sustainable, and economical desalination systems. Thermal desalination technologies require more energy than membrane-based systems due to the significant energy requirements associated with water vaporisation. The photovoltaic-powered reverse osmosis (RO) system had the most economically favourable production cost, while MED powered via a concentrated solar power (CSP) system had the highest production cost. The study aims to guide future research and development efforts, ultimately promoting the worldwide use of renewable energy-powered desalination systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Industry, agriculture, and a growing population all have a major impact on the scarcity of clean‐water. Desalinating or purifying contaminated water for human use is crucial. The combination of thermal membrane systems can outperform conventional desalination with the help of synergistic management of the water‐energy nexus. High energy requirement for desalination is a key challenge for desalination cost and its commercial feasibility. The solution to these problems requires the intermarriage of multidisciplinary approaches such as electrochemistry, chemical, environmental, polymer, and materials science and engineering. The most feasible method for producing high‐quality freshwater with a reduced carbon footprint is demanding incorporation of industrial low‐grade heat with membrane distillation (MD). More precisely, by using a reverse electrodialysis (RED) setup that is integrated with MD, salinity gradient energy (SGE) may be extracted from highly salinized MD retentate. Integrating MD‐RED can significantly increase energy productivity without raising costs. This review provides a comprehensive summary of the prospects, unresolved issues, and developments in this cutting‐edge field. In addition, we summarize the distinct physicochemical characteristics of the membranes employed in MD and RED, together with the approaches for integrating them to facilitate effective water recovery and energy conversion from salt gradients and freshwater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solar energy is a primary form of renewable energy, and photothermal conversion is a direct conversion process with tunable conversion efficiency. Among various kinds of photothermal conversion materials, porous organic polymers (POP) are widely investigated owing to their controllable molecular design, tailored porous structures, good absorption of solar light, and low thermal conductivity. A variety of POP, such as conjugated microporous polymers (CMP), covalent organic frameworks (COF), hyper‐crosslinked porous polymers (HCP), polymers of intrinsic microporosity (PIM), porous ionic polymers (PIP), are developed and applied in photothermal conversion applications of seawater desalination, latent energy storage, and biomedical fields. In this review, a comprehensive overview of the recent advances in POP for photothermal conversion is provided. The micro molecular structure characteristics and macro morphology of POP are designed for applications such as seawater desalination, latent heat energy storage, phototherapy and photodynamic therapy, and drug delivery. Besides, a probe into the underlying mechanism of structural design for constructing POP with excellent photothermal conversion performance is methodicalized. Finally, the remaining challenges and prospective opportunities for the future development of POP for solar energy‐driven photothermal conversion applications are elucidated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphene nanoplatelets with high thermal diffusivity are being researched for their ability to improve the thermal characteristics of adsorbents. Similarly, ionic liquids with hydrophilic properties have shown promising sorption and thermal attributes. In this study, novel composite adsorbents are developed, comprising few-layered graphene nanoplatelets and specific ionic liquids (ethyl-methylimidazolium methanesulfonate (EMIMCH3SO3) and ethyl-methylimidazolium chloride (EMIMCl)), along with polyvinyl alcohol binder. The composites, known as GP-CL-30-CP and GP-CH3SO3-30-CP, each contain 30% ionic liquid content. The aim is to capitalise on the superior thermal properties of graphene nanoplatelets and the stability and solvation characteristics of ionic liquids to enhance water and cooling production in adsorption-based cooling and desalination processes, addressing challenges in the water–energy nexus. The findings revealed an improvement in the thermal diffusivity of the composites by 167%, which is 76 times higher than the baseline silica gel. There was an increase in water uptake from 0.3534 kg/kg for silica gel to 0.9648 kg/kg for the composites, representing a 174% enhancement in water sorption, and hence more freshwater water production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To overcome the two main obstacles of large‐scale application of superspreading material, self assembly is used to prepare superspreading polymer membrane (SPPM) in this work. An amphiphilic SPPM is prepared by capillary force‐driven self assembly using PP melt‐blown nonwovens and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). The prepared SPPM has low preparation cost and stable performance since self assembly needs low energy consumption, and the production is thermodynamically stable. By using cryo‐electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X‐ray photoelectron spectrum and scanning electron microscope with energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy. It is proved that PVA is successfully assembled on the fiber surface of PP melt‐blown nonwovens. The prepared SPPM has excellent spreading performance, the "spreading times" of both water and oil are less than 0.5 s. They showed much superior performance compared to traditional materials when applied in oil‐water separation, seawater desalination, and ion separation. This work will definitely promote the development of self assembly, superspreading materials, and related sciences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study examines how sustainable energy transitions can meet freshwater needs in green hydrogen production. It proposes four configurations that combine polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) water electrolysis with renewable energy-powered desalination methods, capable of both continuous and intermittent operations. This study evaluates the capital expenditure (CAPEX) implications of integrating solar or wind energy with seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) and multi-effect distillation (MED) desalination to produce green hydrogen. It examines the capacities of renewable energy sources, the effectiveness of energy storage solutions, and the performance of various desalination methods, particularly their combined impact on economic viability and overall project costs. An SWRO system intermittently powered by wind energy is identified as the most cost-effective, reducing CAPEX by 46%. The results emphasize the practical benefits of integrating green desalination with green hydrogen production technologies. [Display omitted] • Introduces cost-efficient green H 2 production via renewable energy and desalination. • Analyzes CAPEX for solar/wind energy with SWRO and MED desalination methods. • Nearly 46% reduced CAPEX for intermittent operation than continuous mode. • Finds wind + SWRO in intermittent mode as most economical for H 2 production. • Highlights minimal CAPEX impact of desalination (<1%) on green H 2 plant costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Societal Impact Statement Summary With global weather patterns becoming more extreme and unpredictable, sourcing reliable irrigation water is vital for improving food security and conserving drinking water in drought‐prone areas. Emerging desalination technologies, which are still in the development phase, could potentially provide large quantities of slightly saline water for irrigation. However, we must first ensure that any benefits of alleviating drought using this water outweigh the negative impacts of salt stress. We examine the viability of such a system, using Tonga as a case study, with the aim of advocating for future use of emerging desalination technologies for irrigation in low‐ and middle‐income countries.Emerging desalination technologies have the potential to be a cheap and energy‐efficient source of irrigation water that could be used to alleviate short‐term droughts in low‐ and middle‐income countries. However, the water produced is unlikely to be completely salt‐free, potentially increasing the risk of salt stress in crops. In this review, we give an overview of the various emerging desalination technologies. We then use Tonga as a case study for assessing the viability of temporarily irrigating crops with moderately saline water (≤100 mM salt) and assess whether the benefits of alleviating drought outweigh the negative impacts of salt stress. We conclude that, in Tonga, important food security crops are likely to have higher survival and growth rates if they are provided with moderately saline water during drought, including taro, pumpkin and yam. Water derived using the new technologies would not be prohibitively expensive to produce. Moreover, it would minimise the need to divert a diminishing supply of water away from drinking to irrigation. The continued improvement of emerging desalination technologies, together with field trials, will help to optimise the use of moderately saline water for irrigation. This is likely to be especially beneficial for achieving and maintaining food security in low‐ and middle‐income countries in increasingly capricious conditions for agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Porous hydrogels have been developed to be highly efficient interfacial solar vapor generation materials for obtaining affordable freshwater supplies. However, realizing hydrogel materials with portability, adequate water supply, and durable mechanical properties remains challenging. Herein, a scalable and portable hydrogel with 3D‐shaped recovery, highly efficient water transport, and robust mechanical stability is reported, which is prepared by foaming polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and modification of phosphotungstic acid (PTA). Due to the interconnected porous structure and highly permeable polymer network, the PVA/PTA‐PH hydrogel has good repetitive compressibility and rapid shape recovery when in contact with water. Combined with light‐absorbing nanoparticles, the PVA/PTA‐PH hydrogel presents an impressive solar evaporation rate of 3.876 kg m−2 h−1 and a photothermal conversion efficiency of ≈94% under 1‐sun irradiation. With 3D‐shape recovery and highly efficient water transport, the compressed hydrogel can be quickly unfolded without human intervention and restored to five times the original size for the working state. The good portability, excellent seawater desalination performance, and simple preparation process are anticipated to make the PVA‐/PTA‐PH hydrogel a promising material to continuously and conveniently produce pure water from seawater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An integrated system incorporating a nuclear unit, multi-stage flash desalination, and proton exchange membrane electrolyzer is proposed for peak shaving. The extraction steam is used for seawater desalination to produce freshwater, the generator output power is employed to drive the electrolyzer for hydrogen production, and the electrolyzer outlet water heats the feedwater for power boosting. Thermodynamic analysis shows that 53.76 MW is used for seawater desalination-hydrogen production (electrolyzer voltage =2.0 V). The system efficiency is 37.44 % with output hydrogen energy of 37.86 MW, and the specific energy consumption is 4.72 kWh/Nm3. The electrolyzer exergy efficiency of the integrated system is 81.94 %, higher than the standalone electrolyzer with 61.17 %. Sensitivity analysis shows higher voltage and lower water flow rates are conducive to higher hydrogen production rates. Economic analysis shows that the cost of hydrogen production is 15.16 CNY/kg and the annual net income can reach 7.68·106 CNY. • Nuclear unit coupled with MSF desalination and PEM electrolyzer for polygeneration. • Whole-process seawater desalination-hydrogen production for peak shaving. • Real internal temperature distribution of the electrolyzer is revealed. • The integrated system is subject to thermodynamic and economic analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fabrication of membranes for water desalination and wastewater treatment is an important strategy to overcome water quality problems worldwide. Herein, the influence of the presence of the poly(amidoamine) dendrimer (PAMAM) on the performance of the cellulose acetate (CA) membrane was investigated. Halloysite nanotube (HNT) was functionalized with the third generation of PAMAM dendrimer and incorporated into the CA membrane by phase inversion process to improve the properties of the membrane. The functionalized HNTs and composite membranes were characterized in detail: Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Atomic force microscopy (AFM), contact angle measurements, zeta potential, thermogravimetric (TGA) analyses, and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM). A dead-end filtration system examined the performance of the incorporated cellulose acetate membrane. Based on the results, the membrane permeability, salt rejection, and antifouling properties were improved due to the addition of hydrophilic HNTs- PAMAM nanocomposite in the membrane casting solution. The loading of 1wt% of HNTs/PAMAM was optimized as filler composition. It showed salt rejection of 91% and 75.6% for sodium sulfate and magnesium chloride respectively along with the maximum porosity (82%), antifouling performance (85%), reversible fouling ratio (45%), and the lowest contact angle (~ 32). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Freshwater scarcity is a pressing issue worldwide, and solar steam generators (SSGs) have emerged as a promising device for seawater desalination, harnessing renewable solar energy to facilitate sustainable water evaporation. The facile fabrication approach for SSG with complex topologies to achieve high water evaporation efficiency remains a challenge. Herein, a MIL-101 (Fe)-derived C@Fe3O4 ink was employed to multi-jet fusion (MJF) printing of polymeric porous SSGs with specific topologies. The optimized porous structure endows the printed SSGs with capillary force, greatly promoting water transport. The tree-like topology enables high water evaporation rates under various simulated solar radiation conditions. A finite element model was built to fully understand the light-to-thermal energy conversion and water evaporation processes. Moreover, the MJF-printed SSGs exhibit self-cleaning properties and can automatically remove accumulated salt on their surfaces, enabling sustainable desalination. During prolonged testing, the water evaporation rate of the SSGs remained relatively stable and reached as high as 1.55 kg m−2 h−1. Additionally, the desalinated water met the standards for direct drinking water. This study presents a state-of-the-art technology for producing efficient SSGs for desalination and introduces a novel method for MJF printing of functional nanocomposites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Population growth, coupled with industrial and agricultural development, has resulted in increased demand for freshwater supply. For countries with scarce water resources, desalination constitutes the only viable solution to this problem. Reverse osmosis (RO) technology has become widely used as the membrane materials have been upgraded and the costs have been reduced. Nowadays, RO is the foremost technology for desalting different types of water such as seawater, brackish, and tap water. However, its design is critical since many parameters are involved in obtaining a good design. The high use of RO encourages the establishment of a procedure that facilitates the design process and helps in obtaining an optimum-performance RO desalination system. This paper presents a procedure divided into three parts: (1) classifying RO parameters; (2) choosing the parameters in a certain order and doing the calculation process through 12 steps; and (3) then inserting the selected parameters and the obtained values on RO System Analysis (ROSA) software. These points are then summarized by creating an algorithmic chart to follow during the design phase of the RO system using ROSA. An example on the proposed list is then taken to validate the procedure, and a comparison is conducted on choosing different values for the parameters. The results of this comparative study show that choosing different parameters affects the RO system productivity. Additionally, every design has a specific optimum set of parameters, which depends upon the design constraints set by the user. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, an innovative woody biomass‐fueled hybrid tetrageneration system composed of a single‐effect lithium bromide‐water absorption refrigeration system, a reverse osmosis desalination system, two organic Rankine cycle for the production of cooling, heating, power, and freshwater in two distinct configurations (configurations A and B), compared and discussed using energy, exergy, economic, and exergoeconomic analyses. The poplar sawdust used as a local woody biomass fuel was a by‐product of the Iran Wood and Paper Industries Company, located in northern Iran. The results revealed that the highest heating production and lowest exergy destruction were related to configuration B. The overall cost of configuration A was higher than that of configuration B. A detailed sensitivity analysis was also developed to study the effect of various factors on the thermodynamic and economic performance of the proposed configurations. By increasing the turbine inlet temperature of ORC1 from 625 to 692 K, the total sum unit costs of product of the system in configurations A and B decreased by 20 and 23 $ GJ−1, respectively (about 21%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A numerical investigation for a solar air heater integrated with a multi-section solar distiller has been conducted with a novel design of solar distiller with interior sections. A mathematical description of the solar distiller is made and solved with a MATLAB code. The air flow in the solar air heater, the water height in the solar distiller, and the number of interior sections have all been studied. To validate the numerical system, an experimental system was built. The theoretical model and the experiment performed appear to be in satisfactory correlation. The best working conditions occur when the system is run with a lower air flow rate, a lower saline water height, and a greater number of interior sections with productivity reaching 1242.6 ml/m2 per day, a gain output ratio (GOR) about 0.622 and air heater efficiency about 35%. In the normal case of output salinity between 0 and 500 ppm, the cost was reduced by 96.7%, and by 96.3% in the case of four interior sections. Water cost reduction is also observable at the same output salinity, with 54.1% at 0 ppm and 62.4% at 200 ppm between number of interior sections = 0 and 4. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Construction of multi-component heterostructures is an effective strategy for electrocatalysts to improve both the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) at the cathode and the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) activity at the anode. Herein, an efficient bifunctional electrocatalyst towards overall water/seawater splitting (OW/SS) is reported with strategy of heterostructure construction (ruthenium/nickel phosphorus) on nickel hydroxide (Ni(OH) 2). With the unique hydrolysis layer (Ni(OH) 2), the processes of H 2 O hydrolysis and the adsorption/desorption of H*/O-containing intermediates (OH, O, OOH) were greatly boosted by Ru and P sites, which acted as the catalytic active centers of OER and HER, respectively. In addition, the electronic structure reconfiguration was realized through the strong interaction between multi-interfaces. For alkaline HER at the current density of 10 mA cm−2, the overpotential of Ru-P-Ni(OH) 2 /NF (denoted as RNPOH/NF) was 98 mV, whereas just 230 mV of overpotential was essential to stimulate alkaline OER at the current density of 20 mA cm−2. Specifically, as a bifunctional electrocatalyst towards overall water splitting, RNPOH/NF deserves cell voltages of 1.7/1.92 V and 1.75/1.94 V, respectively, to activate current densities of 50/100 mA cm−2 in alkaline water/seawater systems, together with a good durability of 12 h. This work contributes insights to the development of bifunctional electrocatalysts for overall water/seawater splitting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The emergence of new nanoporous materials, based, e.g., on 2D materials, offers new avenues for water filtration and energy. There is, accordingly, a need to investigate the molecular mechanisms at the root of the advanced performances of these systems in terms of nanofluidic and ionic transport. In this work, we introduce a novel unified methodology for Non-Equilibrium classical Molecular Dynamic simulations (NEMD), allowing to apply likewise pressure, chemical potential, and voltage drops across nanoporous membranes and quantifying the resulting observables characterizing confined liquid transport under such external stimuli. We apply the NEMD methodology to study a new type of synthetic Carbon NanoMembranes (CNM), which have recently shown outstanding performances for desalination, keeping high water permeability while maintaining full salt rejection. The high water permeance of CNM, as measured experimentally, is shown to originate in prominent entrance effects associated with negligible friction inside the nanopore. Beyond, our methodology allows us to fully calculate the symmetric transport matrix and the cross-phenomena, such as electro-osmosis, diffusio-osmosis, and streaming currents. In particular, we predict a large diffusio-osmotic current across the CNM pore under a concentration gradient, despite the absence of surface charges. This suggests that CNMs are outstanding candidates as alternative, scalable membranes for osmotic energy harvesting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The technology of solar still shows up as an effective and affordable solution to convert available brackish water into potable water. The present study aims to address the challenge of providing freshwater by desalinating brackish water using solar energy. An attempt has been made in this work to make a desalination system for the efficient utilization of solar energy by using a parabolic reflector and energy‐storage material. Modification in the desalination system and storage of energy facilitates the continuation of the process in sunshine and off‐sunshine hours which increases yield output. To investigate the objectives, helical‐shaped focal tubes and nano‐enhanced phase change material (PCM) are prepared. The desalination system is coupled with nano‐enhanced PCM by placing it in the annular space of a helical‐shaped focal tube. The heat transfer coefficient ranged from 11.46 to 28.77 W/(m² K). PCM 3 (i.e., base PCMs with 1.5% nanoadditives) achieved a maximum productivity of 3533.3 mL/m²/day, marking a 97.89% improvement over the system without PCM. The preheated water outlet temperature reached 67.4°C, and the basin water temperature was 75.35°C. The highest concentrator efficiency recorded was 49.82% at a mass flow rate of 0.0053 kg/s. Thermodynamic analysis showed a 67.19% enhancement in overall thermal efficiency with PCM 3 compared with the non‐PCM scenario. Additionally, the system attained a maximum average exergy efficiency of 12.29% and the shortest payback period of 115 days. The study concludes that the base PCM sample with a 1.5% mass concentration of nanoparticles was optimal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] The scarcity of freshwater resources and increasing demand for drinking water have driven the development of durable and sustainable desalination technologies. Although MXene composites have shown promise due to their excellent photothermal conversion and high thermal conductivity, their high hydrophilicity often leads to salt precipitation and low durability. In this study, we present a novel Cellulose (CF)/MXene paper with a Janus hydrophobic/hydrophilic configuration for long-term and efficient solar-driven desalination. The paper features a dual-layer structure, with the upper hydrophobic layer composed of CF/MXene paper exhibiting convexness to serve as a photothermal layer with exceptional salt rejection properties. Simultaneously, the bottom porous layer made of CF acts as an efficient thermal insulation. This unique design effectively minimizes heat loss and facilitates efficient water transportation. The Janus CF/MXene paper demonstrates a high evaporation rate of 1.11 kg m−2h−1 and solar thermal conversion efficiency of 82.52 % under 1 sun irradiation. Importantly, even after 2500 h of operation in a simulated seawater environment, the paper maintains a stable evaporation rate without significant salt deposition and biodegradation due to an antibacterial rate exceeding 90 %. These findings highlight the potential of the Janus CF/MXene paper for scalable manufacturing and practical applications in solar-driven desalination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding intrusion and extrusion in nanoporous materials is a challenging multiscale problem of utmost importance for applications ranging from energy storage and dissipation to water desalination and hydrophobic gating in ion channels. Including atomistic details in simulations is required to predict the overall behavior of such systems because the statics and dynamics of these processes depend sensitively on microscopic features of the pore, such as the surface hydrophobicity, geometry, and charge distribution, and on the composition of the liquid. On the other hand, the transitions between the filled (intruded) and empty (extruded) states are rare events that often require long simulation times, which are difficult to achieve with standard atomistic simulations. In this work, we explored the intrusion and extrusion processes using a multiscale approach in which the atomistic details of the system, extracted from molecular dynamics simulations, informed a simple Langevin model of water intrusion/extrusion in the pore. We then used the Langevin simulations to compute the transition times at different pressures, validating our coarse-grained model by comparing it with nonequilibrium molecular dynamics simulations. The proposed approach reproduces experimentally relevant features such as the time and temperature dependence of the intrusion/extrusion cycles, as well as specific details about the shape of the cycle. This approach also drastically increases the timescales that can be simulated, reducing the gap between simulations and experiments and showing promise for more complex systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Designing a nanofluidic membrane with high selectivity and fast ion transport property is the key towards high‐performance osmotic energy conversion. However, most of reported membranes can produce power density less than commercial benchmark (5 W/m2), due to the imbalance between ion selectivity and permeability. Here, we report a novel nanoarchitectured design of a heterogeneous membrane with an ultrathin and dense zirconium‐based UiO‐66‐NH2 metal–organic framework (MOF) layer and a highly aligned and interconnected branched alumina nanochannel membrane. The design leads to a continuous trilayered pore structure of large geometry gradient in the sequence from angstrom‐scale to nano‐scale to sub‐microscale, which enables the enhanced directional ion transport, and the angstrom‐sized (~6.6–7 Å) UiO‐66‐NH2 windows render the membrane with high ion selectivity. Consequently, the novel heterogeneous membrane can achieve a high‐performance power of ~8 W/m2 by mixing synthetic seawater and river water. The power density can be largely upgraded to an ultrahigh ~17.1 W/m2 along with ~48.5 % conversion efficiency at a 50‐fold KCl gradient. This work not only presents a new membrane design approach but also showcases the great potential of employing the zirconium‐based MOF channels as ion‐channel‐mimetic membranes for highly efficient blue energy harvesting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, with the development of solar seawater desalination technology, many solar evaporators are affected by precipitated salts during the evaporation process, which can reduce efficiency. In this work, flexible fabrics made of polypyrrole (PPy)/MXene are obtained by impregnating the prepared PPy ink onto waffle like fabrics. The combination of PPy and fabric greatly improves the water absorption and evaporation performance of the fabric. The average evaporation rate of this structure is 1.43 kg m−2 h−1, and the average evaporation efficiency under a single light source is 85.13%. After a 15‐h testing cycle and a total of 8 cycles, lasting nearly 120 h, the performance of the device remained stable. The structural characteristics of waffle fabric, based on the Marangoni thermal effect, make it possible to suppress salt precipitation during evaporation, avoiding large salt particles covering the evaporation surface and reducing efficiency. This experiment successfully demonstrated long‐term stable water evaporation, providing new ideas for the development of fabric evaporators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Manufacturing a multilayer evaporator with a delicate structure and removing salt accumulation during prolonged operation are challenges in seawater desalination. A flexible single‐layer salt‐rejecting monolithic porous evaporator (SRMPE) is presented that floats on the near surface of seawater without any support structure. The hydrophilic component of this network polymer modulates the water association state in SRMPE, achieving a high evaporation rate of 3.47 kg m−2 h−1 and an efficiency of 94.3%. With a large capillary water flux (14.4 L m−2 h−1), the SRMPE exhibits superior and rapid self‐cleaning by removing sodium chloride (NaCl) powder (33% by weight) within 1.25 h in simulated seawater (salinity, 3.5%) under 1 sun radiation. Furthermore, even after continuous irradiation for 12 h in highly concentrated brine (25% salinity), no salt crystallizes on the evaporator surface. It may stimulate creative work by scientists and engineers in the design of simple, highly efficient salt‐rejecting, self‐cleaning interfacial solar evaporators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hierarchical BiVO 4 /Ti 3 C 2 microcapsules report enhanced solar-driven water evaporation and photothermal-catalytic H 2 evolution activity. The flexible aerogel endows efficient evaporation rates (2.01 kg m−2 h−1) under 1kW m−2 solar irradiation, and the complementary heterostructures present photocatalytic H 2 production evolved after 4 h of reaction is 9.39 μmol. [Display omitted] Desalination processes frequently require a lot of energy to generate freshwater and energy, which depletes resources. Their reliance on each other creates tension between these two vital resources. Herein, hierarchical MXene nanosheets and bismuth vanadate (Ti 3 C 2 /BiVO 4)-derived microcapsules were synthesized for a photothermal-induced photoredox reaction for twofold applications, namely, solar-driven water evaporation and hydrogen (H 2) production. For this purpose, flexible aerogels were fabricated by introducing Ti 3 C 2 /BiVO 4 microcapsules in the polymeric network of natural rubber latex (NRL-Ti 3 C 2 /BiVO 4), and a high evaporation rate of 2.01 kg m−2 h−1 was achieved under 1-kW m−2 solar intensity. The excellent performance is attributed to the presence of Ti 3 C 2 /BiVO 4 microcapsules in the polymeric network, which provides balanced hydrophilicity and broadband sun absorption (96 %) and is aimed at plasmonic heating with microscale thermal confinement tailored by heat transfer simulations. Notably, localized plasmonic heating at the catalyst active sites of the Ti 3 C 2 /BiVO 4 heterostructure promotes enhanced photocatalytic H 2 production evolved after 4 h of reaction is 9.39 μmol, which is highly efficient than pure BiVO 4 and Ti 3 C 2. This method turns the issue of water–fuel crisis into a collaborative connection, presenting avenues to collectively address the anticipated demand rather than fostering competition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a thorough critical literature review aimed at understanding the challenges associated with freshwater supply associated with rapidly growing global hydrogen economies. The review has been prompted by the fact that the hydrogen production projected for 2030 will create at least an additional demand of 2.1 billion cubic meters for freshwater, which needs to be addressed to support sustainable development of emerging hydrogen economies. The key solutions explored by this study include seawater and wastewater treatment methods for large-scale freshwater generation, along with the newly introduced technique of direct seawater-fed electrolysis. Prior research indicates that desalination technologies, including reverse osmosis and membrane distillation, also offer promising avenues for large-scale freshwater production at costs comparable to other desalination techniques. Additionally, low-temperature desalination methods such as membrane distillation could play a significant role in freshwater production for electrolysis, underscoring the importance of exploring waste recovery opportunities within the system (e.g., fuel cell heat recovery). This review also identifies research gaps that need to be addressed to overcome freshwater supply challenges and enhance the sustainability and techno-economic viability of large-scale hydrogen energy systems. • The projected hydrogen demand by 2030 will create approximately 21 billion cubic meters of freshwater demand. • The target cost projections of ∼2–3 $/kg-H 2 have often neglected the cost of freshwater supply. • Seawater and wastewater resources can be utilised to support hydrogen production at large scales. • Direct seawater electrolysis and desalination technologies can support green hydrogen production. • Utilising fuel cells and electrolysers waste heat for desalination can reduce the energy cost of hydrogen production by ∼5%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Microbial Desalination Cell (MDC) stands out as an innovative and a sustainable technology for both renewable energy generation and water treatment. The choice of electron acceptor significantly influences the efficiency of electricity flow. This study focuses on exploring the MDC performance under different conditions, including variations in cathode electron acceptors, initial pH levels, and hydraulic retention time (HRT). The investigation assesses simultaneous reduction of TDS and power generation from Caspian Sea water, a prominent saline water source in northern Iran, in both open-circuit (OC) and closed-circuit (CC) modes. The findings reveal that sodium hypochlorite, potassium permanganate, and potassium bromate as catholyte achieved TDS reduction rates of 84%, 77%, and 72%, respectively, under CC conditions at pH 5. Furthermore, it was observed that increasing HRT and pH levels lead to a decrease in desalination efficiency and power generation. Notably, the study highlights that the maximum power density was attained using permanganate, hypochlorite, and bromate as catholyte in both OC and CC configurations. By showcasing the adaptability of MDC performance with different cathode electron acceptors under varying conditions, this research offers valuable insights for optimizing MDC efficiency when treating real saline water sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate estimation of gas hydrate formation condition is crucial for many reasons. In one hand, the gas hydrate formation is a promising approach for gas separation, cold energy storage, seawater desalination, etc. On the other hand, in some industries, this phenomenon may cause some challenges, such as pipelines blockage. The current study was undertaken to develop trustworthy predictive tools for methane hydrate formation temperature (MHFT) in the presence of brines. To achieve this target, 1051 experimental data pertinent to the methane hydrate equilibrium in 26 single and multiple brines over an extensive range of operating conditions were amassed from published studies. Four simple factors, including pressure, brine concentration, salt molecular weight and salt melting temperature were defined as the input variables, and the black-box intelligent techniques, including gaussian process regression (GPR), multilayer perceptron (MLP) and radial basis function (RBF) were employed to link MHFT to the mentioned factors. A plethora of graphical and statistically-based assessments were performed to determine the accuracy level of the proposed models. While all intelligent models had excellent performances, the one established by the GPR method showed the best agreements with experimental data, and gave the AARE and R2 values of 0.14% and 99.17%, respectively, in the testing step. The foregoing model was capable of predicting MHFT over a broad range of conditions with relative deviations mostly below 0.10%. Additionally, it showed an excellent performance in describing the physical variations of MHFT versus operating factors. The authority of the analyzed databank and the presented model was asserted via the William's plot investigation. Moreover, a sensitivity analysis was undertaken in order to determine the most fundamental factors in controlling MHFT. Eventually, a simple mathematical correlation was also derived based on the white-box intelligent approach of gene expression programming (GEP), which allowed the accurate estimation of MHFT with an AARE of 0.56%. [Display omitted] • Smart predictive models were presented for methane hydrate formation condition. • 1051 methane hydrate equilibrium data in the presence of 26 brines were analyzed. • The GPR method presented the best predictions with the testing AARE of 0.14%. • The models favorably described the physical variations of MHFT. • A simple and accurate MHFT correlation was derived by the GEP approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heterogeneous crystallization resulted in low conversion efficiency and short service life has become one of the important challenges of desalination. Here, a fluoro-modified CNT@epoxy composite coating is developed to durably inhibit salt crystallization of photothermal sheet even in highly concentrated salt water. Typically, it can have stable evaporation efficiency of ∼ 1. 7 0 kg ⋅ m − 2 ⋅ h − 1 without salt crystallization after continuously being operated for 40 cycles under one solar intensity in the 20 wt.% NaCl solution. That is mainly due to the Cassie state superhydrophobicity that can large increase the heterogeneous nucleation barrier quite close to the homogeneous one in salt water. This study expects to solve the existing problems of complex structure and short service time of seawater desalination units. We have constructed a photothermal sheet using superhydrophobic CNT@epoxy composite coating. It showed excellent photothermal conversion ability to inhibit heterogeneous crystallization, which it can maintain (∼1.70 kg.m–2.h–1) in salt water with high concentrations of NaCl (5–25 wt.%), even after continuous evaporation for 40 cycles in 20 wt.% NaCl solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The primary environmental impacts of seawater desalination are salty, hot, and chemical pollution induced by the direct release of concentrated brine from various desalination processes. The primary goal of this research is to conduct experimental thermal analyses of seawater in a hybrid solar desalination system. It uses solar energy to heat seawater, which is then fed via copper tubes. Hybrid solar desalination systems make use of evacuated tube collectors (ETC) and compound parabolic concentrators (CPCs). Sea water evaporates due to the intensity of sun radiation, resulting in steam. Steam is condensed, and the resulting potable water is stored in an airtight container. Groundwater, saline water, and saltwater were used as inputs, yielding 2.5, 1.5, and 2 litres of drinkable water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Membrane distillation is a novel membrane-based separation technology with the potential to produce pure water from high-salinity brine. It couples transport behaviors along the membrane and across the membrane. The brine in the feed is gradually concentrated due to the permeate flux across the membrane, which is a significant factor in initiating the scaling behavior on the membrane surface along the feed flow direction. It is of great interest to investigate and estimate the development of scaling on the membrane surface. This work specifically focuses on a long-distance membrane distillation process with a sodium chloride solution as the feed. A modeling approach has been developed to estimate the sodium chloride scaling development on the membrane surface along the flow direction. A set of experiments was conducted to validate the results. Based on mathematical simplification and analytical fitting, a simplified model was summarized to predict the initiating position of sodium chloride scaling on the membrane, which is meaningful for scaling control in industrial-scale applications of membrane distillation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In view of the low carbon economy of energy supply and the stable operation of "heat to power" of cogeneration units in offshore islands, an energy management strategy of island microgrid of photothermal power stations with carbon trading mechanism is proposed. Based on the multi energy island microgrid system integrating power collection, heat and water, such as solar thermal power station, heat pump, wind power, micro gas turbine unit and seawater desalination equipment, the heat pump achieves the bidirectional conversion of electric thermal energy with solar thermal power station to improve the power generation capacity of solar thermal power station and meet part of the heat load demand. Carbon trading mechanism is introduced to limit carbon emissions, and low carbon economic model of island microgrid is established to study the economy of different operation modes of island micro-grid with the participation of photothermal power stations. The multi scenario comparison experiment verifies that the island microgrid low carbon economic dispatching can better balance economy and environmental protection, and generate less carbon emissions while operating at a lower economic cost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Feed water temperature has a role in controlling the specific energy consumption (SEC) of reverse osmosis (RO) desalination plants. Higher feed water temperatures result in lower SEC values, making management of temperature a key consideration for optimum energy efficiency in RO desalination. This paper introduces an Axial Flux Eddy Current Heating (AFECH) device to increase the temperature of feed water with the help of eddy currents. A 3D model of AFECH is designed and developed in ANSYS to analyze the magnetic characteristics, heat flux, and temperature on the aluminum plate. A hardware setup is designed to prove the concept of AFECH. Different observations are tabled for different rotor speeds. The design of AFECH is extended into a more practical approach, and this paper proposes a novel design of a multilevel disk-type AFMECH device. Based on the observations, multilevel disk-type AFMECH has raised the temperature of feed water from 29 to 60 °C. Based on the comparison between normal RO desalination and RO with a multilevel disk-type AFMECH system, the specific energy consumption has observed to be decrease from 1.16 to 0.6213 kWh/m3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we employ a combination of simple hydrothermal and high-temperature nitriding techniques to synthesize self-supporting N -doped carbon-coated Ni 3 N/MoO 2 /WO 2 heterojunction nanorods on a nickel foam catalyst for efficient alkaline seawater electrolysis. [Display omitted] • The NC@Ni 3 N/MoO 2 /WO 2 @NF || NiMoWO X @NF electrolyzer showed high catalytic activity. • The NC@Ni 3 N/MoO 2 /WO 2 @NF has the d -band center closest to the Fermi level. • NC@Ni 3 N/MoO 2 /WO 2 @NF and NiMoWO X @NF have η 100 of only 84 mV and 195 mV in seawater. The electrolysis of seawater for hydrogen production holds promise as a sustainable technology for energy generation. Developing water-splitting catalysts with low overpotential and stable operation in seawater is essential. In this study, we employed a hydrothermal method to synthesize NiMoWO X microrods (NiMoWO X @NF). Subsequently, an annealing process yielded a composite N -doped carbon-coated Ni 3 N/MoO 2 /WO 2 nanorods (NC@Ni 3 N/MoO 2 /WO 2 @NF), preserving the ultrahigh-specific surface area of the original structure. A two-electrode electrolytic cell was assembled using NC@Ni 3 N/MoO 2 /WO 2 @NF as the cathode and NiMoWO X @NF as the anode, demonstrating exceptional performance in seawater splitting. The cell operated at a voltage of 1.51 V with a current density of 100 mA·cm−2 in an alkaline seawater solution. Furthermore, the NC@Ni 3 N/MoO 2 /WO 2 @NF || NiMoWO X @NF electrolytic cell exhibited remarkable stability, running continuously for over 120 h at a current of 1100 mA·cm−2 without any observable delay. These experimental results are corroborated by density functional theory calculations. The NC@Ni 3 N/MoO 2 /WO 2 @NF || NiMoWO X @NF electrolyzer emerges as a promising option for industrial-scale hydrogen production through seawater electrolysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Humidification and dehumidification (HDH) desalination units compared with the other thermal desalination systems have relative advantages due to working under ambient pressure and low temperatures and are more attractive. In this research, the application of an HDH desalination unit with indirect‐contact of air and water streams in a steam power plant is investigated. To increase the energy efficiency of the system, a closed air cycle has been considered. Also, by application of the closed water cycle in the humidifier, the recovery rate of the desalination unit increases according to the concentration of discharge flow. The flow rate of boilers blowdown in the studied steam power plant is around 2.2 kg/s and can be used as a unique source of required thermal energy in the desalination system to produce freshwater from power plant chemical effluents. On the basis of the available cooling water (30 m3/day), this stream is considered as the limiting flow in the modeling. The detailed design of different parts of the desalination unit, including the humidification tower, condensers, wet air circulation fans, the required pumps, and the heat exchanger, is presented in this study. The maximum production of freshwater and the minimum energy intensity are obtained for the circulating air flow rate of 4 kg/s. By 14% recovery of lost steam in the power plant, 20.8 m3/h of desalinated water is produced. The gain output ratio and the energy intensity of the system are 1.025 and 2201 kJ/L, respectively. The production cost with the proposed indirect‐constant HDH system is equal to 0.56 $/m3 of freshwater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solar‐powered interfacial evaporation is recognized as an emerging technology for desalination of salt‐lake water but suffers from insufficient evaporation mass under intermittent sunlight illumination. Meanwhile, salt‐lake water contains abundant noble metal ions; however, there is no effective strategy to extract them during evaporation. Hereby, an interfacial evaporator integrated with crown‐ether‐functionalized phase‐change microcapsules (Crown‐MicPCM) is designed to realize all‐weather desalination and synchronous caesium ion (Cs+) extraction of salt‐lake water. Crown‐MicPCM is constructed with an n‐docosane core for photothermal energy storage, a magnetic SiO2/Fe3O4 composite shell for easy recyclability, a polydopamine inner coat for sunlight absorption, and a crown ether outer coat for selective Cs+ adsorption. Through integrating the functions of solar energy harvest, latent heat storage, and selective Cs+ adsorption within Crown‐MicPCM, such an innovative design boosts the evaporation and adsorption performance of the developed evaporator significantly. The developed Crown‐MicPCM‐integrated evaporator exhibits a considerable improvement in freshwater production and Cs+ extraction, achieving a Cs+ adsorption capacity of 32.6 mg g−1 and an evaporation rate of 1.43 kg m−2 h−1 under one‐sun illumination. Compared with the evaporator without a phase‐change material, the Crown‐MicPCM‐integrated evaporator obtains an increase in freshwater yield by 47% and in adsorption efficiency of Cs+ by 12% under natural sunlight illumination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Membrane technology has turned out to be a cornerstone in water treatment, providing advanced solutions that significantly enhance the efficiency of the purification process. The conventional reverse osmosis processes have shortcomings like large volume of rejects and fouling, which have been addressed largely using membrane distillation (MD). The ability of MD to treat a wide array of brines and hypersaline water sources, ranging from seawater to industrial wastewater, has made it a leading desalination technology. This review explores the role of silane chemistry in developing hydrophobic membranes, fundamental classification of silanes, grafting intricacies, critical pretreatment procedures, and techniques for silane functionalization. It further sheds light on the methods for evaluating hydrophobicity and performance metrics, highlighting the advantages of stable flux, enhanced solute rejection, and resistance to fouling. The paper particularly highlights the emergence of silanes as the preferred agents for enhancing membrane hydrophobicity that exhibit anti-wetting properties, concluding with a call for further research aimed at large-scale production of these membranes for global water treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]