System and method for electrically conductive membrane separation

A membrane nanofiltration system for electrically conductive membrane separation comprising:

• a conductive membrane filter comprising a silicon wafer, wherein the silicon wafer comprises a first region having pores with pore sizes ranging from 1 μm to 10 mm and a second region having pores with pore sizes ranging from 1 nm to 5 μm;
• an electrical contact in contact with the membrane filter, wherein electrical current can flow from the electrical contact to the conductive membrane filter;
• and
• a counter electrode above a top surface of the membrane electrode,
• wherein the membrane filter, via the electrical contact, and the counter electrode are configured to:
• generate an electric field between the membrane filter and the counter electrode;
• hold the membrane filter at a constant electric potential;
• or
• flow constant current into the membrane filter, and
• wherein the membrane filter is configured to separate a component from a mixture solution, and
• wherein the pore size of the pores in the first region are different from the pore size of the pores in the second region, and
• wherein the silicon wafer is monolithic silicon and is not bound to a support.