Recent advances in innovative osmotic membranes for resource enrichment and energy production in wastewater treatment

Wastewater is a valuable resource that we can no longer afford to overlook. By recovering the nutrients and metals it contains and generating renewable energy, we can not only meet the rising demands for natural resources but also create a more sustainable and resilient future. Forward osmosis (FO) membranes are one of the most intriguing resource recovery process technologies because of their high organic retention, economical energy usage, and straightforward operation. However, the widespread adoption of FO membranes on a full-scale basis is hindered by several issues with previous membrane products. These include limited selectivity to different types of ions, insufficient water flux, and high susceptibility to membrane fouling during extended periods of operation. As a result, it is necessary to either invent new FO membranes or modify the existing ones. The objective of this paper is to provide a comprehensive and organized review of recent advancements in the development of innovative osmotic membrane (IOM) materials for resource recovery (RR) and energy production (EP). The paper covers several aspects, including the limitations of current osmotic membrane technologies, a review of new membranes specifically designed for effective RR/EP, their applications in various industrial fields, integrated IOM systems, recent improvements in IOM fabrication processes using artificial intelligence, and a discussion of the challenges and prospects of the potential applications. In general, recently developed IOMs have proven to be highly efficient in recovering organics (>99 %), nutrients (>86 %), and precious metals (>90 %). These new membranes have also demonstrated an ability to effectively harvest osmotic energy (with power output ranging from 6 to 38 W/m2) by applied pressure in the range of 8 to 30 bar. These findings suggest that IOMs is promised for efficient resource recovery and renewable energy production.