ABSTRACT
Seawater desalination technology has gained increasing interest as freshwater needs have increased due to urbanization and industrialization. It is mainly divided into membrane desalination (MD) and thermal desalination, with MD being more cost-effective, energy efficient, and simple to operate than thermal desalination. The MD technique indicates the use of various semipermeable membranes to remove salt on the one hand and separate salt and water on the other. However, existing polymer membranes are unable to match the ever-increasing performance requirements. Fortunately, nanotechnology allows modular, efficient, and versatile processes to be conceived as excellent solutions. Many documents have been published in recent years that summarize the use of functional polymers and nanomaterials in saltwater desalination. Furthermore, this chapter investigates the various functional membranes and their performance in saltwater desalination. The aims of this article are to give researchers a brief understanding and to assist with further research.
