# Researchers demonstrate faster water transport with more selective membrane

_Published Friday, October 30, 2026 at 1:00 PM EDT · Science · Latest · Tier 2 — Notable_

![Researchers demonstrate faster water transport with more selective membrane — Primary](https://scx2.b-cdn.net/gfx/news/2026/professor-xiwang-zhang.jpg)

University of Queensland researchers demonstrated a membrane that increased water transport by approximately 44% and reduced ethanol transport by 90% in ethanol-water separation experiments, Phys.org reported. The work, published in Science, achieved a 10-fold improvement in separation accuracy compared with a standard filtration membrane.

The researchers introduced self-rotating ammonium ions into channels less than one nanometer wide to help molecules move while retaining selectivity. Translating the technology into practical industrial separations and resource recovery is the next step.

## Sources

- [Phys.org](https://phys.org/news/2026-10-supercharged-molecule-highway-membrane-industrial.html)

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Canonical: https://techandbusiness.org/newswire/V1w13ZLwnQ-V2tvklGkogZ
Published: 2026-10-30T17:00:07.808Z
Story chronology: 2026-10-30T16:40:08.000Z
Retrieved: 2026-10-30T19:50:12.593Z
Publisher: Tech & Business (techandbusiness.org)