article · Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research
To address global water scarcity and the high energy demands of traditional desalination, this study explores a sustainable photothermal membrane distillation (PMD) system using polysulfone (PSF) membranes embedded with copper sulfide (CuS) nanoparticles. Chemically synthesized CuS nanoparticles exhibited a band gap of 1.94 eV and crystallite sizes of 18.32 and 28.73 nm, promoting efficient solar-to-thermal conversion. Incorporating 1 wt % CuS into PSF membranes enhanced porosity (20% to 60%), hydrophobicity (contact angle: 76° to 90°), and photothermal response (surface temperature: 43 to 54 °C). The optimized membrane achieved a water flux of 8.31 L/m2 h under artificial light, significantly outperforming the pristine membrane (1.92 L/m2 h). A sustained performance under prolonged sunlight confirmed its long-term stability. Structural and compositional analyses (SEM, XRD, FTIR, and XPS) verified uniform CuS dispersion and membrane integrity. This work demonstrates an energy-efficient solar-driven desalination approach, offering a promising route for clean water production while addressing water-energy challenges.
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DOI: 10.1021/acs.iecr.5c01358
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