Fabric-Based Ion Concentration Polarization for Pump-Free Water Desalination

We report on water desalination on fabric based on ion concentration polarization (ICP). The use of fabric as the substrate reduces the cost and simplifies the fabrication procedure for water desalination. On the fabric, water is transported and recovered by capillary force without any external pump. Filtration based on the porous structure of the fabric and electrocoagulation purification induced by anodic electrochemical reaction are also integrated. By the fabric-based water desalination, 85% salt in 50 mM NaCl solution is rejected with an applied voltage of 15 V, which demonstrates its potential in water desalination for remote or underdeveloped areas.