Thermo- and light responsive microgels for efficient brackish and seawater forward osmosis desalination – Germany
Forward osmosis desalination presents a promising solution to address water shortages in areas near brackish or seawater sources. This study investigates the use of thermo-responsive poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide-rand‑sodium acrylate) microgels as innovative draw agents for forward osmosis desalination.
The drawing ability and responsiveness of these microgels are significantly influenced by the charged comonomer content. Unlike bulk hydrogels, these microgels, owing to their core-shell morphology, maintain thermo-responsivity even at higher comonomer content. Incorporating graphene oxide as a light absorber allows for partial heating, required to reach the transition temperature, to be obtained using UV light radiation. […]









