Since the advent of thin film composite polyamide membranes over 50 years ago, the permselectivity of water purification and desalination membranes has improved only marginally. The slow progression is partly attributable to limited understanding of membrane synthesis–structure–performance relationships. A centralized archive of membrane characterization data may lead to a shared understanding of features that maximize performance and unify research efforts. The Open Membrane Database, which launches online in late 2021, is a database of over 300+ water purification and desalination membranes that are sourced from peer-reviewed journals, patents, and commercial product data. Here, we outline the detailed functionality of the database and the transport theory underlying the performance calculations. The open-access database may be used to benchmark novel membranes against the state of the art, conduct meta-analyses, and develop synthesis–structure–performance relationships, each of which will be critical to advancing membrane development.

Open-access database for water purification and desalination membranes

ACS Fall 2021

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.