Cobalt oxide silica membranes for desalination

This work shows for the first time the potential of cobalt oxide silica (CoOxSi) membranes for desalination of brackish (1 wt.% NaCl), seawater (3.5 wt.% NaCl) and brine (7.5-15 wt.% NaCl) concentrations at feed temperatures between 25 and 75 degrees C. CoOxSi xerogels were synthesised via a sol-gel method including TEOS, cobalt nitrate hydrate and peroxide. Initial hydrothermal exposure