Separation and Purification Technology最新文献

{"title":"Type III porous liquids based on UiO-66 modified by growing the silica layer for CO2 selective separation","authors":"Zheng Dong, Yangyang Xin, Bowen Xiang, Baolu Cui, Ruilu Yang, Wenwu Zhou, Jianwei Liu, Jiadi Li, Shuangshuang Long, Libing Qian, Xinxin Che, Jinwen Fan, Zhiyuan Yang, Yaping Zheng, Dechao Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.seppur.2025.134502","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.seppur.2025.134502","url":null,"abstract":"Porous liquids（PLs）are a new type of material that combines the permanent cavities of porous solids with the fluidity of liquids, and they have presented broad application prospects in gas capture and separation. However, non-covalent forces are introduced between pore generators and sterically hindered solvents in order to reduce the weak intermolecular forces that often lead to self-aggregation of pore generators. This will result in the formation of an interface layer with direct interactions between pore generators and sterically hindered solvents. Therefore, it is inevitable that the pores and adsorption sites of pore generators will be largely occupied and blocked, leading to a decrease in the adsorption capacity of PLs. Herein, we propose a novel interface-protection strategy achieved by introducing a functional interface layer for preparing type III PLs, where UiO-66 is used as the pore generators. And then, SiO₂ is grown on the surface of UiO-66 <em>via</em> the tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) hydrolysis process, thus obtaining a new pore generator UiO-66@SiO₂ with controllable layer thicknesses of SiO₂. Next, PLs are constructed by using UiO-66@SiO₂ as the new pore generator and 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate (BMIMPF₆) as the sterically hindered solvent, respectively. Thus, the constructed SiO₂ layer transform the direct interaction between pore generators and sterically hindered solvents, which can protect the internal adsorption sites and pore structures to a large extent. Notably, UiO-66@SiO₂-PL demonstrates not only promising CO₂ adsorption capacity but also excellent CO₂/N₂ and CO₂/CH₄ separations. More importantly, the proposed idea of the interface-protection strategy opens a new horizon for constructing PLs with superior separation performance considering the abundant libraries of pore generators and sterically hindered solvents.","PeriodicalId":427,"journal":{"name":"Separation and Purification Technology","volume":"21 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.6,"publicationDate":"2025-07-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144702075","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Synergistic interaction of phosphorus vacancies and cobalt species in cobalt phosphide to enhance electrocatalytic nitrate reduction","authors":"Xinghe Wang, Xiaoman Li, Hushan Zhang, Xiaoying Hai, Guidong Yang, Min Luo","doi":"10.1016/j.seppur.2025.134501","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.seppur.2025.134501","url":null,"abstract":"Electrocatalytic nitrate reduction (e-NO₃RR) offers a sustainable approach for ammonia synthesis and water purification. Transition metal phosphides (TMP) provide active hydrogen (*H), but are influenced by competitive hydrogen evolution reactions (HER). Meanwhile, vacancy engineering of electrocatalysts accelerates the kinetic process of reaction by modulating the electronic structure of the catalyst and lowering the energy barriers of the reaction. In this work, we constructed a phosphorus-vacancy-rich Co_xP/Co-V_p/NF catalyst through KBH₄ etching, which achieved a Faraday efficiency (FE) exceeding 90 % and an ammonia yield rate of 6190.94 μg h⁻¹ cm⁻². The catalyst demonstrated 80.07 % NO₃⁻ conversion over 13 h with 78.65 % NH₄⁺ selectivity. In situ spectroscopy and Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations reveal that Co_xP, V_p and Co⁰ three-phase synergistically optimize *H utilization: Co^δ+ in Co_xP facilitates the adsorption of NO₃⁻, enriching the reactants, while P^δ− adsorbs a certain amount of *H and stabilizes intermediate electron transfer. Simultaneously, Co⁰ spontaneously reduces NO₃⁻ to NO₂⁻ while suppressing HER. V_p enhances hydrogen adsorption and the hydrogenation of intermediates through charge redistribution, collectively optimizing the production of NH₃.The present work provides new ideas and strategies for e-NO₃RR ammonia production","PeriodicalId":427,"journal":{"name":"Separation and Purification Technology","volume":"23 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.6,"publicationDate":"2025-07-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144710951","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Insights into adsorption behaviors and mechanisms of aged polypropylene (PP) microplastics for Mn(II) ions: Critical effect of different valence cations coexisting in water solution","authors":"Weipeng He ,&nbsp;Wei Wang ,&nbsp;Cunpei Wang ,&nbsp;Zihe Zeng ,&nbsp;Zhen Yang","doi":"10.1016/j.seppur.2025.134506","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.seppur.2025.134506","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In aquatic environments, microplastics (particularly aged ones) can readily adsorb heavy metal pollutants, posing potential risks. The coexistence of common inorganic ions (such as Na⁺, Ca²⁺ and Al³⁺) further influences their adsorption behaviors and mechanisms. This study focused on how these coexisting cations affected the adsorption behavior of Mn(II) ions onto aged polypropylene (PP) microplastics at various concentrations. Experimental results of adsorption kinetics and isotherms demonstrate that coexisting cations significantly effected Mn(II) adsorption, with inhibitory effects ranked as Na⁺ &lt; Ca²⁺ &lt; Al³⁺. Initial adsorption was driven by liquid film diffusion, followed by surface adsorption, with Al³⁺ causing chemical inhibition. Thermodynamic parameters suggest that all adsorption processes were spontaneous and endothermic, with higher ionic valence cations making Mn(II) adsorption less favorable. SEM-EDS and FTIR characterization reveal that aged PP microplastics developed enlarged pores during Mn(II) adsorption, indicating micro-pore filling. Adsorption primarily occurred through physical interactions, with some chemical interactions likely involving electrostatic attraction between carboxyl groups and Mn(II) ions. Coexisting cations inhibited Mn(II) adsorption by competing for available adsorption sites and compressing the electric double layer. Higher concentrations of Ca²⁺ or Al³⁺ resulted in microplastic aggregation. Moreover, in the coexistence of Al³⁺, hydrogen ions (H⁺) further hindered Mn(II) adsorption through competitive adsorption and potential reversal of surface charge. This study provides a theoretical basis for assessing the ecological risks of secondary microplastics as carriers of heavy metal pollutants and lays the groundwork for further research about the effects of microplastics carrying heavy metals in water and wastewater treatment engineering.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":427,"journal":{"name":"Separation and Purification Technology","volume":"377 ","pages":"Article 134506"},"PeriodicalIF":8.1,"publicationDate":"2025-07-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144702033","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Constructing bifunctional structure in molecularly imprinted composite membranes for efficient recognition and accommodation of acteoside","authors":"Shanshan Li ,&nbsp;Yingying Fan ,&nbsp;Mujin Fang,&nbsp;Chen Chen,&nbsp;Kui Li,&nbsp;Tianqi Chen,&nbsp;Yin Lv,&nbsp;Xueqin Li","doi":"10.1016/j.seppur.2025.134499","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.seppur.2025.134499","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Acteoside (ACT) is the main active ingredient of <em>Cistanche tubulosa</em>, but its scarce content makes separation process extremely challenging. It is extremely important to propose a method that can effectively separate ACT. Herein, the multi-chambered hydroxylated silica (MCHS) was prepared and incorporated with polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) powders to fabricate molecularly imprinted composite membranes (MICMs). MICMs showed superb rebinding capacity (135.63 mg/g), rebinding selectivity (4.28) and permselectivity (15.60). The results were attributed to the bifunctional structure constructed by the ACT-imprinted cavities of MICMs and the multiple interior chambers of MCHS. On one hand, ACT-imprinted cavities uniquely recognized and captured ACT, hence improving the permselectivity of MICMs. On the other hand, the multiple interior chambers of MCHS accommodated ACT, hence strengthening the rebinding capacity of MICMs. Accordingly, the development of MICMs with bifunctional structure held promise for highly efficient separation of valuable components.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":427,"journal":{"name":"Separation and Purification Technology","volume":"378 ","pages":"Article 134499"},"PeriodicalIF":9.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144710928","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Low-temperature roasting assisted efficient separation of electrode materials from spent ternary lithium-ion batteries in a kerosene-PEG flotation system","authors":"Weiwei Cao, Binglong Zhao, Yuanyuan Cao, Weiguang Zhou, Shulan Shi, Chenwei Li","doi":"10.1016/j.seppur.2025.134495","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.seppur.2025.134495","url":null,"abstract":"The roasting–flotation process has gained attention for recycling spent lithium-ion batteries due to its high throughput and operational simplicity. However, high pretreatment energy consumption and low selectivity of conventional flotation reagents still hinder the efficient recovery of electrode materials. In this study, a combined “low-temperature (350 °C) roasting&amp;flotation” process is proposed for the separation of electrode materials from spent ternary lithium-ion batteries (LNCMs). More precisely, the impact of low-temperature roasting on electrode materials was initially explored. The comparative separation performance using polyethylene glycol 400 (PEG-400) or methyl isobutyl carbinol (MIBC) as the frother (dosage at 10–70 mg/L) was then systematically examined through flotation and advanced characterizations. Roasting tests confirm that roasting at 350 °C for 1 h partially removes surface binders, enhancing the hydrophobic/hydrophilic divergence between electrode materials. In single-material flotation, MIBC shows better selectivity at low concentrations, while PEG-400 achieves superior separation in mixed-material flotation. Particularly, at 30 mg/L each of kerosene and PEG-400, the NCM concentrate reaches a grade of 83.11 % and a recovery of 75.83 %, compared to 78.73 % and 73.82 % with the “kerosene + MIBC” system. Moreover, mechanistic investigations indicate that PEG-400 significantly outperforms MIBC in enhancing foam stability and slurry viscosity. These improvements indirectly lead to a higher grade of NCM concentrate. When kerosene is added, PEG-400 is more effective than MIBC in facilitating the adsorption of kerosene onto graphite surfaces, thereby enhancing the aggregation of graphite particles. Consequently, the “kerosene + PEG-400” combination not only maintains a high recovery of NCM but also further improves the separation efficiency between graphite and NCM materials.","PeriodicalId":427,"journal":{"name":"Separation and Purification Technology","volume":"14 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.6,"publicationDate":"2025-07-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144694200","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A versatile electrospinning polyacrylonitrile nanofiber membrane integrated with S-scheme heterojunction for indoor air filtration, disinfection, and photocatalytic degradation of pollutants","authors":"Mengjuan Yang ,&nbsp;Mengting Guo ,&nbsp;Yaoyuan Lou ,&nbsp;Yujiao Zhang ,&nbsp;Dengyu Li ,&nbsp;Shangbin Liu ,&nbsp;Jiayu Ma ,&nbsp;Huijie Zhang ,&nbsp;Chunquan Li ,&nbsp;Xiuyan Li ,&nbsp;Bin Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.seppur.2025.134488","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.seppur.2025.134488","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The escalating pollution crisis threatens ecosystems and human health, demanding advanced remediation solutions. Currently, photocatalytic technology has emerged as one of the most promising approaches for environmental remediation, yet confronts critical limitations. Particle aggregation and charge recombination hinder the migration of photogenerated carriers, leading to compromised photocatalytic efficiency. Therefore, the rational design of heterojunction photocatalysts via interfacial engineering, accompanied by precise optimization of charge transfer pathways, provides a robust approach to enhance photocatalytic performance. Herein, S-scheme heterojunction Ag₃PO₄-BiVO₄@HNTs photocatalysts were synthesized. Furthermore, immobilizing the prepared heterojunction onto electrospinning nanofiber membranes enhanced the practical application of powdery photocatalyst, particularly by enabling their effective integration into existing air filtration systems. The fabricated Ag₃PO₄-BiVO₄@HNTs/polyacrylonitrile (PAN) composite nanofiber membrane achieved a 47.3 % photodegradation rate of formaldehyde, distinct antibacterial activity and excellent photodegradation for ciprofloxacin under visible light. EPR analysis revealed that the primary reactive species are h⁺, •O₂⁻ and e⁻. Additionally, the membrane demonstrated exceptional PM0.3 filtration efficiency (99.3 % at 32 L/min airflow) with an ultralow pressure drop (54.6 Pa). Given the versatile functionality of the composite membrane, this work provides a new insight into designing and developing multifunctional photocatalytic membranes for removal of indoor air pollutants (PM0.3, formaldehyde, bacteria) and water contaminants (antibiotics).</div></div>","PeriodicalId":427,"journal":{"name":"Separation and Purification Technology","volume":"377 ","pages":"Article 134488"},"PeriodicalIF":8.1,"publicationDate":"2025-07-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144694080","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Predicting thermophysical properties of amine solutions: A hybrid machine learning framework with synthetic data augmentation","authors":"Jiaoying Huang, Binmin Li, Xing Liu, Guiyang Ye, Zehua Xu, Zhi Yang, Yuxuan Li, Song He, Junyao Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.seppur.2025.134452","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.seppur.2025.134452","url":null,"abstract":"Accurate knowledge of thermophysical properties is essential for amine-based solvent screening, process optimization, and energy efficiency assessment in carbon capture systems. To address the challenges associated with predicting physical properties of amine solvents under conditions of data scarcity, this study proposes a hybrid machine learning framework that integrates ensemble learning with generative adversarial networks. This framework enables simultaneously predict CO₂ loading and solution densities of various amine solvents before and after CO₂ absorption. A database comprising 3,394 experimental data points for three different amines was constructed. On this basis, the model generates synthetic data by combining the robustness of Random Forest (RF) with the gradient penalty mechanism of Wasserstein GAN, thereby effectively mitigating overfitting in small-sample scenarios. Experimental results demonstrate the superior performance of RF with Wasserstein Generative Adversarial Network and Gradient Penalty <strong>(</strong>RF-WGAN-GP) across all prediction tasks, achieving test-set R² &gt; 0.95 and reducing MAE by 8–49.5 % compared to conventional AdaBoost model. Notably, under high concentration conditions (e.g., MDEA density prediction), the model achieves 3–5 % reduction in error relative to thermodynamic correlations, underscoring its ability to accurately model complex nonlinear relationships. Overall, this work offers an efficient data-driven tool for predicting the thermophysical properties of carbon capture solvents. By incorporating adversarial learning, the generalization and prediction capabilities of the model are significantly enhanced. Furthermore, the proposed framework outperforms traditional thermodynamic models in predicting the density of MEA and MDEA systems, even when limited data is available.","PeriodicalId":427,"journal":{"name":"Separation and Purification Technology","volume":"71 4 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.6,"publicationDate":"2025-07-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144694189","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A multifunctional biomass-derived solar evaporator constructed from Chinese medicine residues for cost-effective solar evaporation","authors":"Huang Zhou ,&nbsp;Siqi Wang ,&nbsp;Hongbin Cao ,&nbsp;Mingxi Zhou ,&nbsp;Haiyan Wang ,&nbsp;Pengjie Xian ,&nbsp;Xiu He ,&nbsp;Jingjing Fu ,&nbsp;Jun Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.seppur.2025.134491","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.seppur.2025.134491","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Solar steam generation offers a sustainable solution to global freshwater scarcity, yet its scalability is hindered by high costs, complex fabrication, and inadequate sterilization. Herein, inspired by algae’s photosynthetic product transport pathway in-between stem and leaf, we present a scalable and cost-effective strategy to fabricate a multifunctional photothermal evaporator (MPE) utilizing carbonized medical waste residues. After optimized water-heat distribution at the solar evaporation interface, the MPE achieves 93.9 % solar-to-vapor efficiency with an evaporation rate of 1.56 kg m⁻2h⁻1 under 1 sun irradiation, maintaining robust performance (1.54 kg m⁻2h⁻1) in extreme environments, including hypersaline brines and wastewater with extreme pH conditions (pH 1–14). The MPE exhibits exceptional seawater purification performance, achieving three-order-of-magnitude reduction in ionic contaminants (Na⁺, Mg²⁺, K⁺, Ca²⁺ and B³⁺; &lt; 1.3 mg/L) while simultaneously removing &gt; 99 % organic pollutants via hydroxyl-mediated chelation and hydrogen-bonding complexation mechanisms. Besides, the experiments showed that the collected water is relatively clean with complete removal of pathogenic microorganisms (<em>Escherichia coli</em> and <em>Staphylococcus aureus</em>) by damaging bacterial cell walls. Moreover, the MPE exhibits exceptional cycling stability with minimal efficiency loss, demonstrating practical durability. The interfacial solar-driven steam generation (ISSG)<!--> <!-->system based on MPE addresses critical challenges in sustainable freshwater production by integrating high evaporation efficiency, robust pollutant removal, antibacterial functionality and resistance to extreme conditions, specifically designed to benefit economically stressed communities.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":427,"journal":{"name":"Separation and Purification Technology","volume":"377 ","pages":"Article 134491"},"PeriodicalIF":8.1,"publicationDate":"2025-07-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144694203","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Diving into the transfer of small organic solutes in RO of seawater","authors":"Fatima Zohra Charik ,&nbsp;Saad Alami Younssi ,&nbsp;Murielle Rabiller-Baudry","doi":"10.1016/j.seppur.2025.134260","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.seppur.2025.134260","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The elimination of small organic pollutants is emerging as a new and growing challenge for reverse osmosis desalination. Charged organic solutes (three azo dyes, a vitamin, an antibiotic) were selected on the basis of their chemical nature and various properties (MW = 265–916 g.mol⁻¹, charges, hydrophobicity…). The RO membrane (SW30, Filmtec) was used to filter simple, binary and ternary mixtures of organic substances over a range of 30 to 40 bar, either in 30 g L⁻¹ NaCl or in synthetic seawater (Atlantic Ocean). The applied pressure of 40 bar was specially chosen to obtain a high, but not full rejection of all of these solutes, in order to prevent convection from overpowering all the other forces responsible for the transfers. Accordingly, it has become possible to highlight the variations induced by changes in physico-chemical interactions. To address the latter, a relationship between rejection and solute hydrophobicity assessed from the descriptor logK_ow has been proposed, but has provided only limited understanding. Secondly, relationships between rejection and the Hansen solubility parameters (HSPs) of solutes were established. They highlight the balanced role of polar, H-bonding and dispersive properties on the rejection. Finally, by the mean of Ra distance calculated from HSPs, the article provides an overview of solute affinity competition for the membrane or solvent (water) in managing the rejection of organic compounds and proposes a model validated for all experimental conditions within an average accuracy of 15 %.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":427,"journal":{"name":"Separation and Purification Technology","volume":"378 ","pages":"Article 134260"},"PeriodicalIF":9.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144702077","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"High-performance interfacial solar steam generation enabled by synergistic integration of MXene, bentonite, and MOF-303","authors":"Yi-Hsuan Lin, Yiang-Chen Chou, Jiun-Jen Chen, Cheng-Liang Liu, Shyh-Chyang Luo, Dun-Yen Kang","doi":"10.1016/j.seppur.2025.134490","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.seppur.2025.134490","url":null,"abstract":"Interfacial solar steam generation (ISSG) has emerged as a promising approach for sustainable water purification. However, the development of efficient, robust, and scalable membrane materials remains a key challenge. MXenes, a class of two-dimensional transition metal carbides and nitrides, have attracted considerable attention due to their excellent photothermal conversion and hydrophilic properties. Yet, issues such as oxidation susceptibility and mechanical fragility limit their practical use in freestanding membrane applications. In this study, we developed a freestanding composite membrane composed of Ti₃C₂T_x MXene, extracted bentonite (EB), and MOF-303, designed to synergistically enhance photothermal efficiency, structural integrity, and water transport. EB provided mechanical reinforcement and oxidation resistance, enabling substrate-free operation. MOF-303, a microporous aluminum-based metal–organic framework, was incorporated to reduce the evaporation enthalpy of water through nanoconfinement effects. Comprehensive structural and thermal analyses confirmed that the optimized membrane maintained a well-aligned, layered architecture and significantly reduced the energy required for water vaporization. Under one sun irradiation, the MXene/EB/MOF-303 membrane achieved a high water evaporation flux of 3.49 kg m⁻² h⁻¹ and an energy conversion efficiency of 159 %, outperforming both MXene-only and previously reported composite systems. The membrane also demonstrated excellent stability over multiple cycles and effectively desalinated seawater to meet WHO drinking water standards. These results underscore the potential of the MXene/EB/MOF-303 membrane as a scalable and efficient platform for solar-driven water purification, offering an integrated solution to address the photothermal, mechanical, and functional challenges of ISSG technologies.","PeriodicalId":427,"journal":{"name":"Separation and Purification Technology","volume":"52 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.6,"publicationDate":"2025-07-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144694191","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}