Pulsed hydraulic-pressure-responsive self-cleaning membrane

Yang Zhao; Yuna Gu; Bin Liu; Yujie Yan; Chao Shan; Jian Guo; Shantao Zhang; Chad D Vecitis; Guandao Gao

doi:10.1038/s41586-022-04942-4

Pulsed hydraulic-pressure-responsive self-cleaning membrane

Nature. 2022 Aug;608(7921):69-73. doi: 10.1038/s41586-022-04942-4. Epub 2022 Aug 3.

Authors

Yang Zhao¹, Yuna Gu¹, Bin Liu¹, Yujie Yan², Chao Shan^{1

3}, Jian Guo², Shantao Zhang², Chad D Vecitis⁴, Guandao Gao^{5

6}

Affiliations

¹ State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China.
² National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures, College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, and Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China.
³ Research Center for Environmental Nanotechnology (ReCENT), Nanjing University, Nanjing, China.
⁴ Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.
⁵ State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China. gaoguandao@nju.edu.cn.
⁶ Research Center for Environmental Nanotechnology (ReCENT), Nanjing University, Nanjing, China. gaoguandao@nju.edu.cn.

PMID: 35922500
DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-04942-4

Abstract

Pressure-driven membranes is a widely used separation technology in a range of industries, such as water purification, bioprocessing, food processing and chemical production^1,2. Despite their numerous advantages, such as modular design and minimal footprint, inevitable membrane fouling is the key challenge in most practical applications³. Fouling limits membrane performance by reducing permeate flux or increasing pressure requirements, which results in higher energetic operation and maintenance costs^4-7. Here we report a hydraulic-pressure-responsive membrane (PiezoMem) to transform pressure pulses into electroactive responses for in situ self-cleaning. A transient hydraulic pressure fluctuation across the membrane results in generation of current pulses and rapid voltage oscillations (peak, +5.0/-3.2 V) capable of foulant degradation and repulsion without the need for supplementary chemical cleaning agents, secondary waste disposal or further external stimuli^3,8-13. PiezoMem showed broad-spectrum antifouling action towards a range of membrane foulants, including organic molecules, oil droplets, proteins, bacteria and inorganic colloids, through reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and dielectrophoretic repulsion.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't