Patent ID: 8216445

Claim:
A water treatment device comprising: a first composite electrode comprising: a first conductive member; and a first composite member comprising a first oxide selected from the group consisting of a first insulating oxide and a first non-insulating oxide, the first composite member having pores with a median pore diameter in the range of 0.1-500 nanometers; a second composite electrode comprising: a second conductive member; and a second composite member comprising a second oxide selected from the group consisting of a second insulating oxide and a second non-insulating oxide, the second composite member having pores with a median pore diameter in the range of 0.1-500 nanometers; a porous non-conductive separator material disposed between the first composite electrode and the second composite electrode, the separator material configured so that electrolytes of an electrolyte-containing solution can migrate from the first composite electrode through the separator material to the second composite electrode; and an electrical potential member; wherein the first oxide is different from the second oxide; wherein the first oxide has a zeta potential less than zero at the pH of a water sample, and the second oxide has a zeta potential greater than zero at the pH of the water sample; and wherein the first composite member in the water sample has a first isoelectric pH less than the pH of the water sample and the second composite member in the water sample has a second isoelectric pH greater than the pH of the water sample.