Energetically efficient electrochemically tunable affinity separation using multicomponent polymeric nanostructures for water treatment
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Author(s)
Chen, Dexin
Mao, Xianwen
Tian, Wenda
Ren, Yinying
Curtis, Sarah E.
Buss, Marjorie T.
Rutledge, Gregory C
Hatton, Trevor Alan
Date Issued
July 2018
Journal
Energy & Environmental Science
Publisher
Royal Society of Chemistry
Citation
Mao, Xianwen et al. “Energetically Efficient Electrochemically Tunable Affinity Separation Using Multicomponent Polymeric Nanostructures for Water Treatment.” Energy & Environmental Science (July 2018) © 2018 Royal Society of Chemistry
Version
Final published version
Abstract
We describe a water treatment strategy, electrochemically tunable affinity separation (ETAS), which, unlike other previously developed electrochemical processes, targets uncharged organic pollutants in water. Key to achieving ETAS resides in the development of multicomponent polymeric nanostructures that simultaneously exhibit the following characteristics: an oxidation-state dependent affinity towards neutral organics, high porosity for sufficient adsorption capacity, and high conductivity to permit electrical manipulation. A prototype ETAS adsorbent composed of nanostructured binary polymeric surfaces that can undergo an electrically-induced hydrophilic–hydrophobic transition can provide programmable control of capture and release of neutral organics in a cyclic fashion. A quantitative energetic analysis of ETAS offers insights into the tradeoff between energy cost and separation extent through manipulation of electrical swing conditions. We also introduce a generalizable materials design approach to improve the separation degree and energetic efficiency simultaneously, and identify the critical factors responsible for such enhancement via redox electrode simulations and theoretical calculations of electron transfer kinetics. The effect of operation mode and multistage configuration on ETAS performance is examined, highlighting the practicality of ETAS and providing useful guidelines for its operation at large scale. The ETAS approach is energetically efficient, environmentally friendly, broadly applicable to a wide range of organic contaminants of various molecular structures, hydrophobicity and functionality, and opens up new avenues for addressing the urgent, global challenge of water purification and wastewater management.
MIT Department
Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)
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Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license
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DOI of Published Version
https://doi.org/10.1039/C8EE02000K
