New Trends in Films and Surfaces for Wastewater Treatment

A special issue of Coatings (ISSN 2079-6412).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 28 February 2026 | Viewed by 753

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Centro de Investigacion en Quimica Aplicada, Saltillo, Mexico
Interests: functionalization of carbon-based, ceramic, and metallic nanoparticles using ultrasound energy for contaminant removal; antibacterial, and medical applications; polymeric nanocomposites; synthesis and applications for water treatment; flame retardants; antibacterials; adsorption

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Guest Editor Assistant
Facultad de Ingenieria, Universidad Autonoma de Coahuila, Saltillo, Coahuila, Mexico
Interests: surfaces; polymer; materials science; ceramics; microstructures; electrical properties

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Guest Editor Assistant
Centro de Investigación en Geociencias Aplicadas de la Universidad Autónoma de Coahuila, Nueva Rosita, Coahuila, Mexico
Interests: optimization of mineral concentration processes; environmental remediation; treatment of wastewater and natural waters

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Water is an essential resource for life, and in recent years, there has been a significant shortage of fresh water worldwide. This scarcity has led to an increased demand for innovative wastewater treatment technologies that can effectively remove pollutants and enable water reuse. Conventional treatments often fail to eliminate heavy metals and organic compounds such as pharmaceuticals, hormones, and dyes, which are highly toxic and pose significant environmental and health risks.

To address these challenges, new technologies have emerged, including thin films, nanocomposites, and nanocoatings that can trap organic, inorganic, and biological pollutants on their surfaces to produce clean water.

This Special Issue, titled "New Trends in Films and Surfaces for Wastewater Treatment", aims to gather cutting-edge research on the application of coating technologies in the field of wastewater treatment. We invite submissions that explore the development, characterization, and application of thin films, nanocomposites, and functional coatings designed to remove organic, inorganic, and biological pollutants from wastewater. Topics include the following:

  • Thin-film nanocomposites for pollutant removal;
  • Surface modifications for enhanced water treatment;
  • Green and sustainable coating technologies;
  • Advanced characterization and mechanisms;
  • Applications and future development;
  • Theorical and computational modeling of surfaces;
  • Film materials and interfaces for water treatment;
  • Emerging technologies involving surfaces for water treatment.

By bringing together cutting-edge research and practical insights, this Special Issue seeks to advance the field of wastewater treatment by highlighting innovative materials and surface modifications that can effectively address the challenges of water pollution and scarcity.

Dr. Marlene Lariza Andrade Guel
Guest Editor

Dr. Carlos Rodrigo Muñiz-Valdez
Dr. Diego Martínez Carrillo
Guest Editor Assistants

Manuscript Submission Information

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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. Coatings is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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

  • film
  • surfaces
  • interfaces
  • water treatment
  • adsorption
  • organic pollutants
  • inorganic pollutants
  • biological pollutants
  • coatings
  • electrocoagulation
  • nanocomposites

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

18 pages, 3000 KB  
Article
Polysulfone/ZnO Modified Nanocomposite Films for the Removal of Dyes
by Christian J. Cabello-Alvarado, Marlene Andrade-Guel, Marissa Pérez-Alvarez, Diego Martínez-Carrillo, Pascual Bartolo-Pérez, Zoe V. Quiñones-Jurado and Gregorio Cadenas-Pliego
Coatings 2025, 15(12), 1462; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings15121462 - 10 Dec 2025
Viewed by 171
Abstract
Wastewater can be reused in industrial processes, for domestic activities, and for agriculture. This is a strategy to address the global water shortage. Consequently, there is an ongoing search for new materials that can effectively remove contaminants from wastewater, as dyes are considered [...] Read more.
Wastewater can be reused in industrial processes, for domestic activities, and for agriculture. This is a strategy to address the global water shortage. Consequently, there is an ongoing search for new materials that can effectively remove contaminants from wastewater, as dyes are considered persistent pollutants. This study synthesized films based on polysulfone with chemically modified ZnO nanoparticles by the sonochemical method for application as an adsorbent material for indigo and crystal violet. The films were characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Thermogranimetric analysis (TGA), and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM); changes were observed with the incorporation of the nanoparticles. The results reveal that the films achieved a dye removal of 80 mg/g. The crystallite size was measured using the Scherrer equation for the polysulfone (PSF) sample, which was 0.024 nm, and using the same method the result obtained was 0.048 nm for the PSFZNO2 sample. The modification with L-serine is novel, as it is an amino acid and a non-toxic substance for the human body. There are few studies on this type of reagent regarding the modification of nanoparticles to provide them with different functionalities. This work was carried out in accordance with the principles of green chemistry, specifically using ultrasound technology, which promotes principles 6 and 9 by reducing energy consumption through the use of lower temperatures and short reaction times. Principles 2 and 3 are also addressed by modifying the surface of the nanoparticles directly. This process eliminates the need for intermediate steps or the use of highly toxic reagents. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Trends in Films and Surfaces for Wastewater Treatment)
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