Towards the realisation of high permi-selective MoS2 membrane for water desalination

Abstract Climate change and its related side effects are generating a demand for innovative ways to enhance desalination performance by adopting cost-effective and energy-efficient membrane materials. Molybdenum disulphide (MoS 2 ), a two-dimensional (2D) material, holds the potential to address the deficiency of the current polymeric reverse osmosis (RO) membrane by maximizing the water-energy nexus. The nanoscale thickness of the MoS 2 membrane promises better water permeability benefiting from the small diffusion length of the transport of the molecules while maintaining good chemical and mechanical robustness. Although many advantages have been projected, the experimental realization of such near-atomic thickness has not been fully explored because of the technological difficulties associated with the production. This review first highlights the remarkable combination of the ion’s rejection and permeability properties of the MoS 2 membrane by discussing two distinct reported approaches for using MoS 2 as a membrane for water desalination. Subsequently, the engineering challenges of the MoS 2 membrane scalability for water desalination are discussed. Lastly, the possible opportunities for a well-controlled fabrication process critical to achieving and advancing MoS 2 membranes from research laboratories to the industrial-scale application are outlined. We aim to provide a collective understanding of the realization of a high permi-selective MoS 2 membrane for water desalination.