Thin-film composite vapor-gap membrane for pressure-driven distillation

Pressure-driven distillation (PD), as an emerging technology, holds tremendous potential for producing freshwater from nontraditional water sources. In this process, a sufficient hydraulic pressure is applied to drive water evaporation and vapor transport across a vapor-gap membrane. The development of the PD process critically depends on the availability of robust and large-area superhydrophobic membranes. Here, we propose an ultraselective superhydrophobic thin-film composite (TFC) vapor-gap membrane with confined transport channels toward the PD process, which can be manufactured scale-up through a facile swelling–assisted deposition strategy. The TFC-PD membrane demonstrates separation capabilities, achieving near-complete rejections of nonvolatile solutes, including salts, boron, and urea. Featured by a vapor-gap superhydrophobic layer, the TFC-PD membrane exhibits superior chlorine and scaling resistance and maintains stable performance over time without being oxidized or scaling. This work offers notable advancements in the microstructural design of PD membranes and the development of scalable robust TFC membranes for the PD process.