Resilient high-temperature reverse osmosis desalination membranes

Science Advances 2026 Open access

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Authors: J. L. Wu, Minhao Xiao, Jinlong He, Rachel Tang, Katie Soares, Ziwei Hou, Xinyi Wang, D. L. Jassby, Menachem Elimelech, Eric M.V. Hoek
DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aea1505
Cited by: 3
References: 45

Abstract

Conventional thin-film composite (TFC) reverse osmosis (RO) membranes experience irreversible performance loss at high temperatures, restricting their use in industries with high-temperature streams, including oil and gas, pharmaceuticals, electronics, power generation, food production, and hybrid desalination plants. However, the mechanisms driving the performance decline of TFC membranes at high temperatures remain poorly understood. Herein, we combine controlled experiments, molecular dynamics simulations, and micromechanical modeling to elucidate TFC failure mechanisms and to evaluate thermally resilient thin-film cross-linked (TFX) composite membrane. Upon exposure to elevated temperatures (>60°C), salt rejection of TFC dropped from ~99 to

Fields of Study & Subjects

Membrane Separation Technologies Fuel Cells and Related Materials Membrane Separation and Gas Transport

Publication details

Journal / source
Science Advances
Publisher
American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
Volume
12
Issue
3
Pages
eaea1505–eaea1505
Publication date
14 January 2026
Language
EN