Axial alignment of covalent organic framework membranes for giant osmotic energy harvesting
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Electro-spun nanofibers-based triboelectric nanogenerators in wearable electronics: status and perspectives
Electro-Spun nanofibers (ESNs), with their design flexibility, tailorable morphologies, and high surface area, are well-favored as triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) materials for wearable electronics. Here, various aspects of ESNs-based wearable TENGs were examined. After introducing the most common TENG operating modes, an insightful overview of wearable TENG applications based on ESNs was presented. In this survey, a special attention is paid to wearable sensing, human-machine interaction, self-powered devices, and amplified energy harvesting. Efforts towards improving energy conversion efficiency, material durability, and compatibility with diverse wearable platforms were visited. Finally, a perspective based on particularly material aspect of ESNs is given, which could be insightful in tackling prevailing challenges and giving birth to new directions.
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Zero liquid discharge (ZLD) and minimal liquid discharge (MLD) are brine management approaches that aim to reduce the environmental impacts of brine discharge and recover water for reuse. ZLD maximizes water recovery and avoids the needs for brine disposal, but is expensive and energy-intensive. MLD (which reduces the brine volume and recovers some water) has been proposed as a practical and cost-effective alternative to ZLD, but brine disposal is needed. In this Review, we examine the concepts, technologies and industrial applications of ZLD and MLD. These brine management strategies have current and potential applications in the desalination, energy, mining and semiconductor industries, all of which produce large volumes of brine. Brine concentration and crystallization in ZLD and MLD often rely on mechanical vapour compression and thermal crystallizers, which are effective but energy-intensive. Novel engineered systems for brine volume reduction and crystallization are under active development to achieve MLD and/or ZLD. These emerging systems, such as membrane distillation, electrodialytic crystallization and solvent extraction desalination, still face challenges to outcompete mechanical vapour compression and thermal crystallizers, underscoring the critical need to maximize the full potential of reverse osmosis to attain ultrahigh water recovery. Brine valorization has potential to partially offset the cost of ZLD and MLD, provided that resource recovery can be integrated into treatment trains economically and in accordance with regulations.
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