Antifouling Membranes Incorporating Surface-Tailored Nanomaterials for Energy-Efficient Desalination and Wastewater Reuse

Water scarcity is one of the greatest global crises that we currently face. The only methods to increase water supply beyond what is available from the hydrological cycle are desalination and wastewater reuse. Highly effective, low-cost, robust technologies for desalination and wastewater reuse are needed, with minimal impact on the environment. Major developments in these membrane-based technologies are possible due to recent advances in materials science, nanotechnology, and the fundamental understanding of the solid-water interface. In this presentation, it will be shown that we can exploit novel nanomaterials, such as carbon nanotubes, block copolymers, and engineered nanoparticles to develop better approaches to design and fabricate membrane materials. By integrating the facile processability, light-weight, and low-cost features of organic polymers with functionality provided by inorganic nanostructures we can develop a new membrane materials platform with applications in desalination and wastewater reuse.