Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • News & Views
  • Published:

Membrane separations

Supercharged ion exchange membranes via short-chain crosslinkers

Nature Chemical Engineering volume 2, pages 237–238 (2025)Cite this article

Subjects

Ion exchange membranes with tailored molecular structures and ion transport properties are critical for a wide range of chemical processes. Now, anion exchange membranes with ultrahigh charge density have been developed and integrated into an electrodialysis process that concentrates desalination brine solution more efficiently, which can contribute to a circular economy.

Access through your institution
Buy or subscribe

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Access through your institution

Buy this article

  • Purchase on SpringerLink
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Fig. 1: AEMs with high charge density.

References

  1. Park, H. B., Kamcev, J., Robeson, L. M., Elimelech, M. & Freeman, B. D. Science 356, eaab0530 (2017).

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Kitto, D. & Kamcev, J. J. Membr. Sci. 677, 121608 (2023).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Shin, D. W., Guiver, M. D. & Lee, Y. M. Chem. Rev. 117, 4759–4805 (2017).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Kitto, D., Espinoza, C., Díaz, J. C., Zamora, J. & Kamcev, J. Nat. Chem. Eng. https://doi.org/10.1038/s44286-025-00205-x (2025).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Kitto, D. & Kamcev, J. ACS Energy Lett. 9, 1346–1352 (2024).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Carter, B. M., Keller, L., Wessling, M. & Miller, D. J. J. Mater. Chem. A 7, 23818–23829 (2019).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Pan, J. et al. Sep. Purif. Technol. 276, 119220 (2021).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Foglia, F. et al. Nat. Mater. 21, 555–563 (2022).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Wang, A. et al. Nature 635, 353–358 (2024).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  10. Yang, D. et al. Nat. Water 3, 319–333 (2025).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  11. Zhang, H. et al. Nat. Sustain. 7, 910–919 (2024).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Henkensmeier, D. et al. Chem. Rev. 124, 6393–6443 (2024).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  13. Park, E. J. et al. Chem. Soc. Rev. 53, 5704–5780 (2024).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemical Engineering, Imperial College London, London, UK

    Dingchang Yang & Qilei Song

Authors
  1. Dingchang Yang
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Qilei Song
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Qilei Song.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

The authors declare no competing interests.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Yang, D., Song, Q. Supercharged ion exchange membranes via short-chain crosslinkers. Nat Chem Eng 2, 237–238 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s44286-025-00208-8

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s44286-025-00208-8

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing