Integration of Advanced Membrane Materials in Building Environmental Control Systems
A special issue of Buildings (ISSN 2075-5309). This special issue belongs to the section "Building Materials, and Repair & Renovation".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 10 September 2026 | Viewed by 520
Special Issue Editors
Interests: environmental thermal and humidity management; membrane-based air dehumidification; membrane-based evaporative cooling; organic-inorganic composite membrane materials; molecular dynamics simulation; fiber structure optimization
Interests: membrane-based air dehumidification; moisture and heat recovery; membrane percrystallization; membrane distillation; membrane material optimization
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: porous polymer membrane; membrane-based temperature and humidity control; moisture diffusion in porous membrane structures; membrane distillation; convective heat and mass transfer in membrane flow channels
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Advanced membrane materials are increasingly recognized as transformative components in modern building systems, offering precise control over heat, moisture, air, and pollutant transfer. Their integration into building environmental control systems represents a significant opportunity to enhance energy efficiency, improve indoor environmental quality, and support the sustainable operation and renovation of buildings worldwide. However, the transition from material innovation to reliable, large-scale application faces challenges related to system integration, long-term performance, cost-effectiveness, and adaptability across diverse climates and building types.
A deeper understanding of how these materials interact with building systems under real operating conditions is essential. This includes not only their fundamental thermophysical and selective transport properties but also their durability, response to dynamic environmental loads, and compatibility with existing and emerging building technologies. There is also a pressing need to develop modeling frameworks, design guidelines, and performance evaluation methods that bridge the gap between material science and building engineering practice.
This Special Issue aims to assemble cutting-edge research that addresses these challenges and advances the science and engineering of membrane-integrated building systems. We invite original contributions that explore novel materials, innovative system designs, performance characterization, and case studies demonstrating successful implementations.
Topics of interest for this Special Issue include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Development and characterization of novel membrane materials (e.g., polymeric, composite, stimuli-responsive, and bio-based) for building applications.
- Membrane-integrated system design for HVAC, ventilation, dehumidification, and energy recovery.
- Modeling, simulation, and optimization of membrane-based building environmental control systems.
- Impact of membrane systems on indoor air quality, thermal comfort, and occupant health.
- Laboratory, field, and real-world performance testing and monitoring of membrane systems.
- Case studies on the integration of membranes in new construction, retrofits, and historic buildings.
- Life cycle assessment, cost–benefit analysis, and circular economy approaches for membrane materials in buildings.
- Smart and adaptive membrane systems integrated with IoT, sensors, and building automation.
- Standards, policies, and market pathways for the adoption of membrane technology in construction.
Dr. Yilin Liu
Dr. Liehui Xiao
Dr. Guopei Li
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Buildings is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- advanced membrane materials
- membrane characterization
- building environmental control
- thermal and humidity management
- heat and mass transfer
- energy efficiency
- system performance
- sustainable retrofit
- smart buildings
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