Water treatment research opportunities at synchrotron and neutron user facilities

Abstract

X-ray and neutron sources have driven major advancements in our understanding of the chemistry, structure and function of materials ranging from biomolecules to batteries. User facilities make these complex and costly-to-operate tools accessible to researchers. Yet these facilities remain underutilized by the water treatment community. Here we describe how these techniques have advanced water treatment research and highlight opportunities to develop transformative solutions via experiments that leverage user-facility infrastructure and capabilities (for example, in situ and operando sample environments and advanced computational modelling). Expanding user bases at these facilities will accelerate the molecular-level design of next-generation water treatment systems, including membranes for brine management, catalysts for contaminant degradation, and sorbents for resource recovery. Investigating dynamic structures and chemical heterogeneities under realistic operational conditions can reveal complex nanoscale processes such as partitioning or fouling that govern macroscopic performance. Such insights bridge laboratory-scale discoveries to system-level improvements, ultimately strengthening global water, resource and energy security. X-ray and neutron sources have significantly advanced material science, yet remain underutilized in water treatment research. This Review shows how these techniques can transform water treatment by enabling molecular-level insights, potentially leading to next-generation systems that enhance global water, resource and energy security.