A sunlight-responsive metal–organic framework system for sustainable water desalination

Ranwen Ou; Huacheng Zhang; Vinh X. Truong; Lian Zhang; Hanaa M. Hegab; Li Han; Jue Hou; Xiwang Zhang; Ana Deletic; Lei Jiang; George P. Simon; Huanting Wang

doi:10.1038/s41893-020-0590-x

A sunlight-responsive metal–organic framework system for sustainable water desalination

Ranwen Ou, Huacheng Zhang, Vinh X. Truong, Lian Zhang, Hanaa M. Hegab, Li Han, Jue Hou, Xiwang Zhang, Ana Deletic, Lei Jiang, George P. Simon, Huanting Wang

Chemical and Petroleum Engineering

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

150 Scopus citations

Abstract

Light-responsive materials with high adsorption capacity and sunlight-triggered regenerability are highly desired for their low-cost and environmentally friendly industrial separation processes. Here we report a poly(spiropyran acrylate) (PSP) functionalized metal–organic framework (MOF) as a sunlight-regenerable ion adsorbent for sustainable water desalination. Under dark conditions, the zwitterionic isomer quickly adsorbs multiple cations and anions from water within 30 minutes, with high ion adsorption loadings of up to 2.88 mmol g⁻¹ of NaCl. With sunlight illumination, the neutral isomer rapidly releases these adsorbed salts within 4 minutes. Single-column desalination experiments demonstrated that PSP–MOF works efficiently for water desalination. A freshwater yield of 139.5 l kg⁻¹ d⁻¹ and a low energy consumption of 0.11 Wh l⁻¹ would be reached for desalinating 2,233 ppm synthetic brackish water. Importantly, this adsorbent shows excellent stability and cycling performance. This work opens up a new direction for designing stimuli-responsive materials for energy-efficient and sustainable desalination and water purification.

Original language	British English
Pages (from-to)	1052-1058
Number of pages	7
Journal	Nature Sustainability
Volume	3
Issue number	12
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-020-0590-x
State	Published - Dec 2020

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@article{19342db299ce4572ac3fe1e27e9c962f,

title = "A sunlight-responsive metal–organic framework system for sustainable water desalination",

abstract = "Light-responsive materials with high adsorption capacity and sunlight-triggered regenerability are highly desired for their low-cost and environmentally friendly industrial separation processes. Here we report a poly(spiropyran acrylate) (PSP) functionalized metal–organic framework (MOF) as a sunlight-regenerable ion adsorbent for sustainable water desalination. Under dark conditions, the zwitterionic isomer quickly adsorbs multiple cations and anions from water within 30 minutes, with high ion adsorption loadings of up to 2.88 mmol g−1 of NaCl. With sunlight illumination, the neutral isomer rapidly releases these adsorbed salts within 4 minutes. Single-column desalination experiments demonstrated that PSP–MOF works efficiently for water desalination. A freshwater yield of 139.5 l kg−1 d−1 and a low energy consumption of 0.11 Wh l−1 would be reached for desalinating 2,233 ppm synthetic brackish water. Importantly, this adsorbent shows excellent stability and cycling performance. This work opens up a new direction for designing stimuli-responsive materials for energy-efficient and sustainable desalination and water purification.",

author = "Ranwen Ou and Huacheng Zhang and Truong, {Vinh X.} and Lian Zhang and Hegab, {Hanaa M.} and Li Han and Jue Hou and Xiwang Zhang and Ana Deletic and Lei Jiang and Simon, {George P.} and Huanting Wang",

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year = "2020",

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doi = "10.1038/s41893-020-0590-x",

language = "British English",

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T1 - A sunlight-responsive metal–organic framework system for sustainable water desalination

AU - Ou, Ranwen

AU - Zhang, Huacheng

AU - Truong, Vinh X.

AU - Zhang, Lian

AU - Hegab, Hanaa M.

AU - Han, Li

AU - Hou, Jue

AU - Zhang, Xiwang

AU - Deletic, Ana

AU - Jiang, Lei

AU - Simon, George P.

AU - Wang, Huanting

PY - 2020/12

Y1 - 2020/12

N2 - Light-responsive materials with high adsorption capacity and sunlight-triggered regenerability are highly desired for their low-cost and environmentally friendly industrial separation processes. Here we report a poly(spiropyran acrylate) (PSP) functionalized metal–organic framework (MOF) as a sunlight-regenerable ion adsorbent for sustainable water desalination. Under dark conditions, the zwitterionic isomer quickly adsorbs multiple cations and anions from water within 30 minutes, with high ion adsorption loadings of up to 2.88 mmol g−1 of NaCl. With sunlight illumination, the neutral isomer rapidly releases these adsorbed salts within 4 minutes. Single-column desalination experiments demonstrated that PSP–MOF works efficiently for water desalination. A freshwater yield of 139.5 l kg−1 d−1 and a low energy consumption of 0.11 Wh l−1 would be reached for desalinating 2,233 ppm synthetic brackish water. Importantly, this adsorbent shows excellent stability and cycling performance. This work opens up a new direction for designing stimuli-responsive materials for energy-efficient and sustainable desalination and water purification.

AB - Light-responsive materials with high adsorption capacity and sunlight-triggered regenerability are highly desired for their low-cost and environmentally friendly industrial separation processes. Here we report a poly(spiropyran acrylate) (PSP) functionalized metal–organic framework (MOF) as a sunlight-regenerable ion adsorbent for sustainable water desalination. Under dark conditions, the zwitterionic isomer quickly adsorbs multiple cations and anions from water within 30 minutes, with high ion adsorption loadings of up to 2.88 mmol g−1 of NaCl. With sunlight illumination, the neutral isomer rapidly releases these adsorbed salts within 4 minutes. Single-column desalination experiments demonstrated that PSP–MOF works efficiently for water desalination. A freshwater yield of 139.5 l kg−1 d−1 and a low energy consumption of 0.11 Wh l−1 would be reached for desalinating 2,233 ppm synthetic brackish water. Importantly, this adsorbent shows excellent stability and cycling performance. This work opens up a new direction for designing stimuli-responsive materials for energy-efficient and sustainable desalination and water purification.

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JO - Nature Sustainability

JF - Nature Sustainability

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ER -

A sunlight-responsive metal–organic framework system for sustainable water desalination

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