Redox-Mediated Electrodialysis for Desalination, Environmental Remediation, and Resource Recovery

Electrochemically driven separation technologies have become a promising avenue for tackling environmental and energy challenges. By bridging redox-based energy storage and desalination, redox-mediated electrodialysis (redox-ED) platforms can perform continuous desalination from brackish water to seawater with reduced energy consumption. Over the past few years, redox-ED has further expanded its applications to wastewater treatment, selective recovery of metals, and even biomanufacturing. Here, we review the rapidly evolving field of redox-ED technologies in desalination, environmental remediation, and resource recovery. The molecular design of redox species and membranes has played a critical role in enhancing capabilities and improving efficiency. We delve into the fundamental principles behind the technology as well as recent advances in the field, covering system engineering, material design, integration of renewable energy sources, and economic assessment. Lastly, we discuss the upcoming opportunities and challenges facing industrial implementation, such as addressing multicomponent separations, utilizing biphasic systems, and gaining deeper molecular-level mechanistic insights.