EXC 3120 BlueMat - Research Topic B2: Selective Electrosorption

Reversible electrochemical processes offer promising options in water treatment for removing oxyanions, dissolved organic carbon, and partial desalination by ion adsorption. Sorbent effectiveness depends on pore size, volume, surface area, and charge. However, current electrode fabrication processes limit control over multiscale porosity and surface charge, reducing their effectiveness in selective ion removal. Additionally, these properties are static, limiting adaptivity to avoid clogging and the ability to switch between adsorption and desorption. This RT advances the field by tailoring multiscale porosity of material systems for utilization as selective ion adsorbents and membrane filters. Innovative control of adsorption and desorption via adjustable surface potentials and selective ion sorption will transform materials into reversible, selective electrosorption systems. This facilitates strategic ion removal with low energy consumption, like lithium from seawater, marking a significant leap in harvesting engineering-valuable elements. The key scientific questions are: How can we functionalize 3D structured materials with locally and reversibly tunable adsorption and desorption of water-dissolved ions? How can we study the ion structure (+ hydration shell) and the spatiotemporal ion concentration evolution under electric potential and external flow, as well as the coupling of both, in a multiscale porous medium? How can we use multiscale modeling for functional optimization of materials for fast ion adsorption and desorption and low electrode degeneration rates resulting either in selective removal (water treatment) or selective ion (element) harvesting?

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