Menachem Elimelech
Research ScientistCards
About
Research
Publications
2025
Viability assessment of lithium recovery from unconventional saline water sources
Cooper N, Lee B, Patel S, Wang L, Westerhoff P, Elimelech M. Viability assessment of lithium recovery from unconventional saline water sources. Desalination 2025, 614: 119156. DOI: 10.1016/j.desal.2025.119156.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchSeawater reverse osmosis concentrateLithium recoveryLithium-ion batteriesIon exchange resinsReverse osmosis concentrateIntercalation electrodesLithium-ionOsmosis concentrateExchange resinSolar evaporation pondsLithium carbonateLow environmental impactLithium demandSeparation technologyLithium-rich brinesLithiumSaline water sourcesLow costTechnoeconomic analysisEnvironmental feasibilityEnvironmental impactIonsRecovery optionsIntercalationProduction costsTransient analysis of bipolar membrane assisted electrosorption: Implications for boron removal
Iddya A, Shocron A, Elimelech M. Transient analysis of bipolar membrane assisted electrosorption: Implications for boron removal. Desalination 2025, 615: 119287. DOI: 10.1016/j.desal.2025.119287.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchBipolar membraneNeutral speciesAmphoteric ionDissociation of waterPH-dependent speciationDynamic pH changesWater dissociationHydronium ionsElectrochemical methodsReaction dynamicsSeparation applicationsElectrochemical systemsElectrosorption systemPresence of boronMinimal energy lossIonsIon exchangeIn situ productionBoronTransient behaviorDissociationEnergy lossImprove system performanceHydroniumPH changesPlasmonic nanoheating for versatile water purification membranes
Gan Q, Liu W, Xiao Q, Yang Z, Guo H, Elimelech M, Tang C. Plasmonic nanoheating for versatile water purification membranes. Nature Sustainability 2025, 1-9. DOI: 10.1038/s41893-025-01636-3.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchLocal mass transferRO membranesClean water productionEfficient desalinationReverse osmosisHigh-performance RO membranesPolyamide RO membranesDesalination performanceSeawater desalinationAmine monomersNano-interfaceSuperior removalWater productionWater treatment scenariosGlobal water scarcityLocal heatingReactivity of monomersPractical applicationsIn situWater sourcesLow molecular weight contaminantsOsmosisDesalinationNanovoidsNanoheatingUltrahigh pressure compaction-resistant thin film crosslinked composite reverse osmosis membranes
Wu J, Quezada-Renteria J, He J, Xiao M, Chen Y, Fan H, Wang X, Chen F, Pataroque K, Suleiman Y, Shahbazmohamadi S, Sreejith N, Sitaraman H, Day M, Li Y, Jassby D, McCutcheon J, Elimelech M, Hoek E. Ultrahigh pressure compaction-resistant thin film crosslinked composite reverse osmosis membranes. Nature Communications 2025, 16: 8165. PMID: 40890134, PMCID: PMC12402197, DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-63639-0.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchRO membranesThin filmsMembrane formation parametersComposite membrane structureCoagulation bath compositionReverse osmosis membranesRO membrane technologySalt rejectionPolyamide layerWater permeanceOsmosis membranesInterfacial polymerizationPorous polyimideMembrane technologyBath compositionCrosslinking methodNaCl solutionPressure rangeCompactionHand castFormation parametersPermeancePolyimideReaction chemistryPressureScalable catalytic nanofiltration membranes for advanced water treatment
Zhang H, Duan Y, Elimelech M, Wang Y. Scalable catalytic nanofiltration membranes for advanced water treatment. Nature Water 2025, 3: 1038-1047. DOI: 10.1038/s44221-025-00483-y.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchReverse osmosis membranesNanofiltration membranesOsmosis membranesRoll-to-roll processNear-complete removalNatural organic matterRoll-to-rollContinuous cross-flow filtrationCross-flow filtrationSmall pore sizeAdvanced water treatmentNanometre-scale poresContaminant removal efficiencyCommercial nanofiltrationConcentration polarizationMembrane technologyActive layerRemoval efficiencyRemoval of contaminantsPore sizeAdvanced oxidationOrganic contaminantsNanofiltrationMembrane surfaceWater treatmentThe US–Israel Blavatnik Scientific Forum on alleviating global water scarcity by desalination and water reuse
Walker S, Dagan G, Adin A, Alvarez P, Elimelech M, Radian A. The US–Israel Blavatnik Scientific Forum on alleviating global water scarcity by desalination and water reuse. Proceedings Of The National Academy Of Sciences Of The United States Of America 2025, 122: e2519360122. PMID: 40864653, PMCID: PMC12415225, DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2519360122.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchKinetics of Silica Polymerization on Functionalized Surfaces: Implications for Reverse Osmosis Membranes
Kaneda M, Zhang J, Zhong M, Elimelech M. Kinetics of Silica Polymerization on Functionalized Surfaces: Implications for Reverse Osmosis Membranes. Environmental Science And Technology 2025, 59: 19037-19046. PMID: 40857648, DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.5c05400.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsReverse osmosisSelf-assembled monolayersSilica scaleSurface of RO membranesReverse osmosis membranesSilica polymerizationRO membranesQuartz crystal microbalanceOsmosis membranesAmine-terminated surfacesSurface functional groupsIsotropic growthViscoelastic propertiesGlassy layerScale layerAggregate particlesEngineering systemsSilicic acidMaterial synthesisCrystal microbalanceFunctional surfacesScale formationFunctional groupsMembrane surfacePolymerizationSolvent Transport in Disordered and Dynamic Membrane Pores: Implications for Reverse Osmosis and Nanofiltration Membranes
Fan H, Elimelech M. Solvent Transport in Disordered and Dynamic Membrane Pores: Implications for Reverse Osmosis and Nanofiltration Membranes. Environmental Science And Technology 2025, 59: 17922-17931. PMID: 40815600, PMCID: PMC12392456, DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.5c07128.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsReverse osmosisNanofiltration membranesSolvent permeabilityPore sizeSolvent transportNanoporous membranesSolvent transport mechanismsLocal friction coefficientInfluence of pore connectivityMembrane poresMembrane separation technologyImpact of pore structurePressure-driven separationViscous naturePorous structure propertiesPore connectivityMembrane performanceFriction coefficientMolecular dynamics simulationsMembrane porosityPorous structurePolymeric membranesNanofiltrationPore structureSolvent moleculesToward Continuous, Oriented Covalent Organic Framework Membranes for Precise Molecular Separations
Parkinson M, Vardhan H, Verduzco R, Fortner J, Elimelech M. Toward Continuous, Oriented Covalent Organic Framework Membranes for Precise Molecular Separations. ACS Nano 2025, 19: 29934-29960. PMID: 40815608, PMCID: PMC12392735, DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.5c09252.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCovalent organic framework membranesCovalent organic frameworksMolecular separationCOF membranesOrganic framework membranesPorous crystalline frameworkMembrane materialsOne-dimensional nanochannelsOrganic solvent nanofiltrationReticular chemistryCrystalline frameworkStructural tunabilityOrganic frameworksIon separationSolvent nanofiltrationGas separationOrganic monomersOriented membranesThermal stabilityCrystalline matrixMembrane separation processesSeparation processMolecular transportSeparationSynthesisA covalent organic framework membrane with highly selective and permeable artificial sodium channels via ion recognition
Wang J, Zhang J, Jin P, Wen H, Dai Z, Tan H, Yuan S, Yang J, Elimelech M. A covalent organic framework membrane with highly selective and permeable artificial sodium channels via ion recognition. Nature Communications 2025, 16: 7346. PMID: 40783428, PMCID: PMC12335463, DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-62329-1.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCovalent organic framework membranesIon selectivityOrganic framework membranesSelective ion transportAngstrom-scale channelsCOF membranesCOF skeletonIon recognitionUltrahigh selectivityEnergy barrierSodium ionsHydration shellNa+/K+ selectivityIonsIon transportBiological channelsTheoretical simulationsCOFNa+PermeanceSelectionSodium channelsChannel fabrication