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Chemistry

How Graphene Oxide Membranes Separate Ions for Water Desalination

Quick fact

A graphene oxide membrane can be just a few nanometers thick, yet it can block ions with hydrated radii larger than the membrane’s interlayer spacing, effectively acting as a molecular sieve that is thousands of times more permeable than conventional membranes in some tests.

Why this is interesting

You’ve probably seen that graphene oxide can make a pencil-like film that lets water through but blocks salt—so why can’t we already desalinate the oceans with a pencil?