Using Ag nanoclusters to achieve mutually reinforcing water desalination and sterilization.
basic_science · Level V
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- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 42693137.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1038/s41467-026-76780-1.
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Abstract
Sustainable water purification requires simultaneous desalination and disinfection, yet integrated solutions remain challenging due to mutual interference between the two processes. Here, we report a synchronous capacitive desalination-sterilization (CDIS) system driven by a rationally engineered dual-functional anode of silver nanoclusters embedded in carbon nanofibers (Ag NCs@CNF). This electrode uniquely combines efficient chloride-ion storage with molecular-ike electrocatalytic activity, enabling concurrent high-capacity desalination (84.25 mg<sub>Cl</sub> g<sup>-1</sup>) and complete sterilization ( > 4.0 log reduction, detection limit) via in situ reactive species (RS) generation. Beyond performance, we provide the unambiguous mechanistic insight into microbe-ion dynamics in capacitive systems. Contrary to the spatial-competition paradigm, we reveal that performance decay primarily stems from electrostatic shielding by live bacteria, while inactivated cells undergo a fragmentation-aggregation process that eliminates shielding. Remarkably, bacterial inactivation further enhances cycling stability by scavenging RS and mitigating anode oxidation. This work establishes an efficient integrated electrochemical purification platform and offers a theoretical framework for designing sustainable water-treatment technologies.