Open AccessPotential‐Mediated Recycling of Copper From Brackish Water by an Electrochemical Copper Pump
Author(s) -
Deng Hai,
Wei Wenfei,
Yao Lei,
Zheng Zijian,
Li Bei,
Abdelkader Amr,
Deng Libo
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
advanced science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.388
H-Index - 100
ISSN - 2198-3844
DOI - 10.1002/advs.202203189
Subject(s) - copper , electrochemistry , brackish water , selectivity , electrode , ion , chemical engineering , materials science , inorganic chemistry , chemistry , catalysis , metallurgy , organic chemistry , salinity , engineering , ecology , biology
Copper ions (Cu 2+ ) disposed to the environment at massive scale pose severe threat to human health and waste of resource. Electrochemical deionization (EDI) which captures ions by electrical field is a promising technique for water purification. However, the removal capacity and selectivity toward Cu 2+ are unsatisfying, yet the recycling of the captured copper in EDI systems is yet to be explored. Herein, an efficient electrochemical copper pump (ECP) that can deliver Cu 2+ from dilute brackish water into much more concentrated solutions is constructed using carbon nanosheets for the first time, which works based on reversible electrosorption and electrodeposition. The trade‐off between the removal capacity and reversibility is mediated by the operation voltage. The ECP exhibits a removal capacity of 702.5 mg g −1 toward Cu 2+ and a high selectivity coefficient of 64 for Cu 2+ /Na + in the presence of multiple cations; both are the highest reported to date. The energy consumption of 1.79 Wh g –1 is among the lowest for EDI of copper. More importantly, the Cu species captured can be released into a 20‐fold higher concentrated solution. Such a high performance is attributed to the optimal potential distribution between the two electrodes that allows reversible electrodeposition and efficient electrosorption.