game changer?https://newatlas.com/metal-organic-framework-filter-water-lithium/53356/
But clean drinking water isn't the only end product of the MOF membrane. Lithium is in high demand, thanks to the lithium-ion batteries that power everything from smartphones to electric cars. Those ions are left behind in the spongey structure, ready for the taking.
"Lithium ions are abundant in seawater, so this has implications for the mining industry who currently use inefficient chemical treatments to extract lithium from rocks and brines," says Wang. "Global demand for lithium required for electronics and batteries is very high. These membranes offer the potential for a very effective way to extract lithium ions from seawater, a plentiful and easily accessible resource."
The technique could also be put to work filtering waste water from industrial processes like fracking.
"Produced water from shale gas fields in Texas is rich in lithium," says Benny Freeman, co-author of the study. "Advanced separation materials concepts such as ours could potentially turn this waste stream into a resource recovery opportunity."
The researchers say they plan to continue studying how to make MOFs even better at selecting for lithium ions.