A group of Korean scientists have killed two birds with one stone, developing a membrane capable of generating electricity and acting as a filter to clean dirty water from impurities.
Billions of people around the world suffer from a lack of clean water and electricity. Project led by a team from the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) and Myongji University promises to provide it.
The amazing invention works thanks to a process called “electrically assisted reverse osmosis”. Simply put, the membrane uses the pressure difference between two liquids to generate electricity and, in the process, purify the water.
The “magic” filter
The "sandwich" material that constitutes the filter is composed of a layer of porous membrane capable of filtering contaminants smaller than 10 nanometers, thus eliminating microplastics and heavy metal particles. In terms of performance, however, the EPM shows a maximum power of 16,44 µW and 15,16 mJ of energy.
When water flows over a layer of conductive polymer placed perpendicular to the membrane, direct current is generated thanks to the horizontal movement of the ions. The membrane can be produced in any size, thanks to 3D printing, making it adaptable to numerous commercial projects.
The research results were published in the latest issue of Advanced Materials (I link them to you here).
Possible applications
Il Dr. Ji-Soo Jang, who led the KIST team, points out that possible applications include water quality management systems and energy emergencies, particularly in rural areas or places without an electricity grid. The research team is currently working to improve the quality of the water produced by the filter and develop the membrane for practical use in the field.
Obviously, like any innovation, this technology will also have to face several challenges before it can be adopted on a large scale. It will be necessary to consider the energy efficiency of the system, the production cost and the durability of the filter over time.
Overall, however, the opportunity is extraordinary: it is worth following its developments.
