Visualizing Enhanced Microfluidic Electromembrane Desalination Using Nafion-Coated Heterogeneous Ion-Exchange Membranes.

Hyunwoo Choi, Bonseung Ku, Seokhee Han, Bumjoo Kim

Abstract read

In one paragraph

Article in Molecules (Basel, Switzerland), 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Hyunwoo ChoiDepartment of Mechanical and Automotive Engineering, Kongju National University, Cheonan 31080, Republic of Korea.

Bonseung KuDepartment of Mechanical and Automotive Engineering, Kongju National University, Cheonan 31080, Republic of Korea.

Seokhee HanDepartment of Future Convergence Engineering, Kongju National University, Cheonan 31080, Republic of Korea.

Bumjoo KimDepartment of Mechanical and Automotive Engineering, Kongju National University, Cheonan 31080, Republic of Korea.ORCID 0000-0002-0725-7947

Funding

Kongju National University 2025Korea Institute of Energy Technology Evaluation and Planning RS-2023-00266248

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Heterogeneous ion-exchange membranes (IEMs) are cost-effective but suffer from low electrochemical efficiency due to surface inhomogeneities. While surface coating with homogeneous ionomers is a known modification strategy, its direct impact on electro-hydrodynamic behavior and desalination performance has rarely been visually verified. In this study, we employed a microfluidic platform to visualize and quantify the performance enhancement of Nafion-coated heterogeneous cation exchange membranes (CEMs). Contrary to conventional theories linking electro-convection (EC) to surface hydrophobicity, our results show that the hydrophilic Nafion coating significantly amplifies EC vortices. Direct visualization revealed that the coating layer acts as an electrical nozzle, inducing intense electric field focusing that triggers macroscopic vortex growth. Furthermore, we visually confirmed that the coating layer physically seals catalytic sites, effectively suppressing parasitic water-splitting reactions. In continuous desalination experiments, this hydrodynamic synergy led to a 32% increase in current efficiency (

Indexed as

desalinationelectro-convectionheterogeneous ion-exchange membranemicrofluidicsNafion coatingover-limiting currentsurface modificationvisualizationwater splitting

Identifiers

PMID41752496

DOI10.3390/molecules31040719

PMCPMC12943398

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LicenceCC BY

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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.