Recent advances in membrane distillation using electrospun membranes: Advantages, challenges, and outlook

Membrane distillation (MD) has great potential in the extraction of freshwater from a variety of saline sources. Electrospun membranes have gained increasing attention within the field of MD due to their unique advantages in hydrophobicity and permeability. However, their poor mechanical properties impair the stability of electrospun membranes during MD. To amplify the advantages of electrospun membranes in terms of hydrophobicity and permeability and make up for the disadvantages in mechanical strength, a large number of novel and feasible methods have been developed. This review aims to give a brief introduction to the performance and influencing factors of electrospun membranes in the field of MD. We summarized the common optimization methods including in situ hydrophobic construction, post hydrophobic modification, and mechanical reinforcement modification to improve the hydrophobic durability and mechanical strength of electrospun membranes. In addition, the design routes of electrospun membranes for different contaminants including hydrophilic contaminants, hydrophobic contaminants, and amphiphilic contaminants are summarized and analyzed. Besides, this review also evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of electrospun membranes and outlines the key development in electrospun membrane design required for the field of MD.