Membrane distillation (MD), a sustainable desalination technology by low-grade heat, has garnered significant attention, but it suffers from low permeate flux and intensive energy. This work integrates hydrophilic metal-organic framework… Click to show full abstract
Membrane distillation (MD), a sustainable desalination technology by low-grade heat, has garnered significant attention, but it suffers from low permeate flux and intensive energy. This work integrates hydrophilic metal-organic framework (MOF) into a hydrophobic polystyrene (PS) matrix, utilizing water capillary condensation within UiO-66-NH2 to lower local vapor pressure and improve evaporation rate. Moreover, the confined evaporation enhancement effect facilitates the continuous evaporation of condensed water within these "reservoirs," enabling the establishment of a dynamic equilibrium. The UiO-66-NH2 near the vacuum side does not undergo condensation, further enhancing water vapor transport by providing favorable pathways for vapor diffusion. The UiO-66-NH2/PS-HP membrane (hot-pressed UiO-66-NH2/polystyrene fiber membrane) achieves an impressive flux of 137.6 L m-2 h-1 and a salt rejection rate of 99.95% under 70 °C and -85 kPa vacuum pressure, surpassing the performance of both commercial and most reported polymer membranes. Moreover, this UiO-66-NH2/PS-HP membrane demonstrates excellent antifouling behavior, long-term stability for 80 h, and scalability for large-area fabrication (120 cm × 30 cm). This work provides valuable insights for developing high-performance membrane distillation membranes for desalination applications.
               
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