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The present disclosure relates to a spacer structure that is configured to be disposed between a pair of electrodes in a capacitive deionization apparatus so as to provide a space for flowing a fluid therethrough. The spacer structure includes a copolymer prepared by copolymerizing a mixture of a po

The present disclosure relates to a spacer structure that is configured to be disposed between a pair of electrodes in a capacitive deionization apparatus so as to provide a space for flowing a fluid therethrough. The spacer structure includes a copolymer prepared by copolymerizing a mixture of a polyurethane backbone including a carboxyl group or a sulfonic acid group, an ion conductive monomer including a carboxyl group and a cation exchange group, and a second polymer including a functional group that reacts with the carboxyl group or sulfonic acid group and forms a cross-linking bond with the polyurethane backbone.

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1. A capacitive deionization apparatus, comprising: a pair of porous electrodes; anda spacer structure between the pair of porous electrodes, the spacer structure defining a path for flowing a fluid therethrough and configured to prevent an electrical short circuit between the pair of porous electro

1. A capacitive deionization apparatus, comprising: a pair of porous electrodes; anda spacer structure between the pair of porous electrodes, the spacer structure defining a path for flowing a fluid therethrough and configured to prevent an electrical short circuit between the pair of porous electrodes, the spacer structure including a copolymer of a first polymer, an ion conductive monomer, and a second polymer, the first polymer having a polyurethane backbone including a first carboxyl group or a sulfonic acid group, the ion conductive monomer including a second carboxyl group and a cation exchange group, the second polymer being cross-linked to the first polymer and the ion conductive monomer. 2. The capacitive deionization apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first polymer is polyurethane including a repeating unit represented by the following Chemical Formula 1: wherein, in the above Chemical Formula 1,A and R are independently a substituted or unsubstituted C1 to C20 aliphatic organic group, a substituted or unsubstituted C3 to C30 alicyclic organic group, or a substituted or unsubstituted C6 to C30 aromatic organic group,X is —COOH or —SO3H, andn is an integer ranging from 1 to 10. 3. The capacitive deionization apparatus of claim 2, wherein the A and R of the above Chemical Formula 1 are independently selected from the following chemical formulae: wherein, in the above chemical formulae,R18 to R29 are the same or different and are independently a halogen, a substituted or unsubstituted C1 to C10 aliphatic organic group, or a substituted or unsubstituted C6 to C20 aromatic organic group,n11 and n14 to n20 are independently integers ranging from 0 to 4, andn12 and n13 are independently integers ranging from 0 to 3. 4. The capacitive deionization apparatus of claim 2, wherein the A and R of the above Chemical Formula 1 are independently a substituted or unsubstituted C1 to C20 alkylene, or a substituted or unsubstituted C3 to C30 cycloalkylene. 5. The capacitive deionization apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cation exchange group of the ion conductive monomer is a sulfonic acid group or a hydroxy group. 6. The capacitive deionization apparatus of claim 5, wherein the cation exchange group of the ion conductive monomer is the sulfonic acid group, the ion conductive monomer being at least one of a sulfoisophthalic acid sodium salt, a sulfosuccinic acid sodium salt, and a sulfosalicylic acid sodium salt. 7. The capacitive deionization apparatus of claim 5, wherein the cation exchange group of the ion conductive monomer is the sulfonic acid group, the ion conductive monomer being a compound represented by the following Chemical Formula 2: 8. The capacitive deionization apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second polymer includes an oxazole group or a phenyl alcohol in a side chain thereof. 9. The capacitive deionization apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second polymer is polyoxazoline. 10. The capacitive deionization apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: a charge barrier between at least one of the pair of porous electrodes and the spacer structure, the charge barrier being a cation permselective membrane or an anion permselective membrane, the charge barrier including a different material from that of an electrode material of the pair of porous electrodes. 11. The capacitive deionization apparatus of claim 1, wherein the pair of porous electrodes further comprises a conductive agent and a binder, the binder being a third polymer including a cation exchange group or an anion exchange group in a main chain or a side chain thereof, the cation exchange group of the third polymer selected from a sulfonic acid group (—SO3H), a carboxyl group (—COOH), a phosphonic acid group (—PO3H2), a phosphinic acid group (—HPO3H), and a nitrous acid group (—NO2H), the anion exchange group of the third polymer selected from a quaternary ammonium salt (—NH3), a primary amine group (—NH2), a secondary amine group (—NHR), a tertiary amine group (—NR2), a quaternary phosphonium group (—PR4), and a tertiary sulfonium group (—SR3). 12. The capacitive deionization apparatus of claim 11, wherein the third polymer is selected from polystyrene, polyvinyl alcohol, carboxylmethyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, polyvinyl chloride, carboxylated polyvinyl chloride, polyvinyl fluoride, polyamide, polyvinylpyrrolidone, polyurethane, polytetrafluoroethylene, polyvinylidene fluoride, polyethylene, polypropylene, a styrene-butadiene rubber, an acrylated styrene-butadiene rubber, an epoxy resin, and polyacrylamide. 13. The capacitive deionization apparatus of claim 1, wherein the pair of porous electrodes includes an electrode material, the electrode material including at least one porous conductive material selected from activated carbon, an aerogel, carbon nanotubes (CNT), mesoporous carbon, an activated carbon fiber, graphite oxide, and a metal oxide. 14. The capacitive deionization apparatus of claim 1, wherein the spacer structure has an open mesh, non-woven fabric, woven fabric, or foam shape. 15. The capacitive deionization apparatus of claim 1, wherein the spacer structure has ion conductivity of greater than or equal to about 10 μS/cm. 16. The capacitive deionization apparatus of claim 1, wherein the spacer structure has a thickness of about 50 μm to about 500 μm, and an open area of about 20% to about 80%. 17. The capacitive deionization apparatus of claim 1, wherein the spacer structure has equivalent series resistance (ESR) of about 1 to about 300 ohms as measured under a condition of about 20 mg/L NaCl. 18. The capacitive deionization apparatus of claim 1, wherein the spacer structure has an ion exchange capacity of about 0.01 meq/g to about 10 meq/g. 19. A spacer structure configured to be disposed between a pair of porous electrodes in a capacitive deionization apparatus to define a path for flowing a fluid therethrough, the spacer structure comprising: a copolymer of a first polymer, an ion conductive monomer, and a second polymer, the first polymer having a polyurethane backbone including a first carboxyl group or a sulfonic acid group, the ion conductive monomer including a second carboxyl group and a cation exchange group, the second polymer being cross-linked to the first polymer and the ion conductive monomer. 20. A method of treating a fluid, comprising: supplying the fluid through a capacitive deionization apparatus, the fluid including ions, the capacitive deionization apparatus including a pair of porous electrodes and a spacer structure between the pair of porous electrodes, the spacer structure defining a path for flowing the fluid therethrough, the spacer structure including an electrically-insulating material, the spacer structure including a copolymer of a first polymer, an ion conductive monomer, and a second polymer, the first polymer having a polyurethane backbone including a first carboxyl group or a sulfonic acid group, the ion conductive monomer including a second carboxyl group and a cation exchange group, the second polymer being cross-linked to the first polymer and the ion conductive monomer; andapplying a voltage between the pair of porous electrodes to adsorb the ions onto the pair of porous electrodes so as to remove the ions from the fluid.