Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40465735›Full record

ArticleScience advances2025

Deciphering co-ion and counterion transport in polyamide desalination membranes reveals ion selectivity mechanisms.

Yun Guo, Jinlong He, Junwei Zhang, Meng Sheng, Zhiwei Wang, Menachem Elimelech, Li Wang

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Article in Science advances, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Yun GuoState Key Laboratory of Water Pollution Control and Green Resource Recycling, Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China.ORCID 0009-0006-0835-8180
Jinlong HeFailure Mechanics and Engineering Disaster Prevention Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, MOE Key Laboratory of Deep Earth Science and Engineering, College of Architecture and Environment, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China.ORCID 0009-0006-5171-3694
Junwei ZhangDepartment of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520-8286, USA.ORCID 0009-0002-8338-0872
Meng ShengState Key Laboratory of Water Pollution Control and Green Resource Recycling, Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China.ORCID 0009-0003-9156-2497
Zhiwei WangState Key Laboratory of Water Pollution Control and Green Resource Recycling, Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China.ORCID 0000-0001-6729-2237
Menachem ElimelechDepartment of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, USA.ORCID 0000-0003-4186-1563
Li WangState Key Laboratory of Water Pollution Control and Green Resource Recycling, Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China.ORCID 0000-0002-5542-6696

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Membrane-based processes, such as reverse osmosis (RO) and nanofiltration (NF), are widely used for water purification and desalination due to their high energy efficiency and exceptional solute-water selectivity. Nevertheless, the fundamental, molecular-level mechanisms governing ion selectivity are still not fully understood. This study explores ion selectivity in polyamide desalination membranes, focusing on the partitioning and diffusion mechanisms of co-ions and counterions. Our experimental and molecular simulation results reveal that electrostatic interactions play a key role in impeding co-ion partitioning while enhancing their diffusion. The results further suggest that ion selectivity is predominantly controlled by the partitioning step, particularly the selective partitioning of co-ions. This finding highlights the importance of focusing on ion partitioning at the water-membrane interface to improve membrane ion-ion selectivity. In addition, our results point out to a trade-off between partitioning and diffusion, requiring careful tuning of these processes. Overall, this study provides the scientific foundation for molecular design of membranes with high ion-ion selectivity.

Identifiers

PMID40465735
PMCPMC12136035

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.