Nano Confinement Effects for the Design of Energy-efficient Seawater Desalination Technology

The water shortage problem is a major global challenge that needs immediate attention. In this article, I briefly review currently available desalination technologies and show that most existing technologies have high energy requirements. In addressing this energy inefficiency, nanotechnology (e.g., carbon nanotubes) can be a useful component to be combined with existing reverse osmosis approaches. Some basic understanding of fast water transport phenomenon, an underlying principle that makes the carbon nanotube a possible candidate for a desalination membrane material, is provided.