Using advanced X-ray spectroscopy to reveal molecular level insights into water treatment

Water treatment technologies separate relevant solutes from water resources for water reuse, valuable resource recovery, and increasing the equity and availability of clean water worldwide. Although a variety of treatment methods exist, their performance needs to be improved to enable selective separation with increased durability and fouling resistance. To achieve this, we need to gain a better understanding of how molecular-level physics and chemistry impact integrated systems. Regarding current research on water treatment techniques, there is a clear need to study such systems under realistic environmental conditions. In this review, we aim to show that X-ray spectroscopic techniques are uniquely positioned to provide such information by obtaining detailed molecular insight into phenomena relevant to water research. By doing so, we hope to accelerate the rational design of novel treatment materials and processes. Specifically, a deeper understanding of the complex and interconnected phenomena that impact multilevel water treatment processes will lead to the successful development of next-generation water purification technologies.