Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41533789›Full record

ArticleScience advances2026

Resilient high-temperature reverse osmosis desalination membranes.

Jishan Wu, Minhao Xiao, Jinlong He, Rachel Tang, Katie Soares, Ziwei Hou, Xinyi Wang, David Jassby, Menachem Elimelech, Eric M V Hoek

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Science advances, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing 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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Jishan WuRice WaTER Institute, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, USA.ORCID 0009-0001-7633-5558
Minhao XiaoDepartment of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
Jinlong HeMOE Key Laboratory of Deep Earth Science and Engineering, College of Architecture and Environment, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China.ORCID 0009-0006-5171-3694
Rachel TangDepartment of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
Katie SoaresDepartment of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
Ziwei HouNAC Inc., Los Angeles, CA 90012, USA.
Xinyi WangDepartment of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.ORCID 0009-0006-8812-5175
David JassbyDepartment of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
Menachem ElimelechRice WaTER Institute, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, USA.ORCID 0000-0003-4186-1563
Eric M V HoekDepartment of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-9674-1916

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

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 <90%, with irreversible structural damage in the polysulfone layer, confirmed by scanning electron microscopy. In contrast, the TFX membrane maintained ~99% salt rejection and showed no signs of physical degradation up to 80°C. Our combined analyses revealed that TFC membrane failure arises from irreversible pore expansion in the thermoplastic polysulfone support, leading to polyamide film rupture and delamination. TFX membranes resist thermal deformation, enabling ultrahigh-temperature RO desalination and water reuse.

Identifiers

PMID41533789
PMCPMC12802826

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.