Research Goal

The objective of this project is to develop a low-energy usage, active ion pump for separating ions from water. In desalination systems, water molecules are separated from the influent aqueous ionic solution that they reside in, leaving a higher concentrated aqueous solution as the exfluent. In this project, we are developing a material system that will actively pump hydrated cations and anions from ionic aqueous solutions (> 20,000 to < 500 ppm) using electrical energy and diffusion to power active nanopore membranes. The goal is reduce energy consumption required for ion separation, and to improve the understanding of the effect of eliminating concentration polarization impedance, a critical issue for aqueous ion separation. (NSF CAMPWS)  

Research Team:

Shaurya Prakash

Acknowledgement:

Work partially supported by National Science Foundation WaterCAMPWS grant #

Related Publications: