Solar‐Powered Electrokinetic Filtration using Hierarchical Porous Membranes for the Off‐Grid Removal of Ultrafine Contaminants
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: The removal of ultrafine suspended solids from water remains a critical challenge due to the tradeoffs among permeability, energy consumption, and fouling resistance. Electrokinetic techniques offer a membrane‐free alternative; however, they are limited by low throughput, heavy reliance on auxiliary equipment, and technically demanding operations. Herein, a scalable, solar‐powered nanoelectrokinetic filtration platform is proposed, which enables the efficient removal of nanoparticles (NPs), organic dyes, and Escherichia coli (E. coli) using micrometer‐scale porous membranes. The core component is a hierarchically structured membrane, consisting of a biodegradable cellulose–cotton scaffold coated with ion‐exchange resin and Nafion, forming confined microchannels and ion‐selective nanochannels that generate stable electrokinetic repulsion under an applied electric field. Powered by a photovoltaic module and operated under gravity‐driven flow (<1 kPa), the system achieves >99.9% removal of sub‐50‐nm particles, including species <10 nm, at high fluxes (>400 L m −2 h −1 ), and efficiently rejects gold NPs, dyes, and E. coli , with stable voltage and energy consumption (≈10 Wh L −1 ) under tap water conditions. Moreover, the antifouling washable membrane retains its performance over 20 reuse cycles and supports linear scalability. Overall, the present study establishes a new class of electrokinetic‐assisted filtration systems with high potential for off‐grid water purification in resource‐limited environments.
Source: Advanced Science
Authors: Woonjae Choi, Minsoo Lee, Young June Park, Seungbin Yoon, Geunbae Lim
Institution: Pohang University of Science and Technology
Language: English
Subfield: Water Science and Technology
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $6,730
OpenAlex ID: W4415167481