Carbon Nanopore-Tailored Reverse Osmotic Water Desalination

Abstract

Water desalination is receiving an increasing amount of attention because of the global concern of sustainability. Emerging nanoporous materials are investigated to selectively separate ions for producing freshwater. This review addresses the role of nanopores in ion/water separation and then discusses current efforts and state-of-the-art methods regarding the effect of nanopore geometry on the water desalination process and performance, particularly carbon nanostructure-based water desalination. Finally, the prospect of nanopore-induced water desalination is described.