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DESALINATION

A new type of artificial water channels

Nature Nanotechnology volume 15, pages 9–10 (2020)Cite this article

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Desalination membranes based on the water transport through transient channels shows a new way to achieve high permeability and selectivity

Clean water is rapidly becoming the 21st century’s most precious commodity. Four billion people experience water scarcity for at least one month every year1, and more than 350,000 children die every year from preventable waterborn diseases2. The socioeconomic consequences of water shortages, frequent drought events, widespread water contamination, overpopulation and overconsumption, are а common root cause of regional conflicts and global instability. Water shortages are also changing our planet: for example, the Aral Sea, a giant inland lake in Central Asia, has virtually disappeared, largely due to agricultural water overuse.

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Fig. 1: Mimicking nature’s water membrane channels.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Physical and Life Sciences Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA, USA

    Aleksandr Noy

  2. School of Natural Sciences, University of California Merced, Merced, CA, USA

    Aleksandr Noy

  3. Department of Physics, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA

    Meni Wanunu

Authors
  1. Aleksandr Noy
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  2. Meni Wanunu
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Correspondence to Aleksandr Noy.

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Noy, A., Wanunu, M. A new type of artificial water channels. Nat. Nanotechnol. 15, 9–10 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41565-019-0617-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41565-019-0617-5

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