Carbon nanotube- and graphene-based advanced membrane materials for desalination

Abstract

The development of membrane-based desalination and water purification technologies offers new alternatives to meet the global freshwater demand. Rapid advancement in carbon nanotube-based and graphene-based nanomaterials has drawn the attention of scientific investigators on various desalination technologies. These nanomaterials indeed offer advantageous structure, size, shape, porosity and mass transport behavior for membrane separation process. This article reviews theoretical and experimental investigations of carbon nanotube- and graphene-based composite materials for desalination. Special attention is given to the simulation of molecular transport through these materials. Further, recent advances in the application of functionalization of carbon nanotube- and graphene-based materials for salt rejection and hydraulic permeation properties are discussed. © 2017, Springer International Publishing AG.