Advances in Materials for Water Treatment and Metal/Nutrient Recovery
A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Materials Science".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 June 2026
Special Issue Editor
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Water is an essential and irreplaceable resource for life, yet its quality is increasingly threatened by diverse contaminants, ranging from excess nutrients to persistent and recalcitrant pollutants. Addressing these challenges requires materials engineered with molecular-level control over composition, surface chemistry, porosity, and reactivity features that enable selective contaminant removal and the recovery of valuable elements. The development of such materials is crucial not only for enhancing water and wastewater treatment efficiency but also for facilitating the recovery of valuable metals and nutrients as secondary resources within a circular-economy framework.
The purpose of this Special Issue is to compile recent advances in the development, characterization, and application of materials for water and wastewater treatment, with particular emphasis on metal and nutrient recovery, although contributions are not restricted to these topics. Submissions focusing on the synthesis, characterization, mechanistic understanding, and performance evaluation of materials such as biochar, composites, zeolites, nanomaterials, and revalorized waste-derived materials are welcome, provided that their molecular-scale features and mechanisms relevant to water treatment are clearly elucidated. Studies conducted at the laboratory scale using synthetic solutions are suitable, while investigations using real wastewater matrices are particularly encouraged.
Dr. Aurora Pat-Espadas
Guest Editor
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. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. 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
- water treatment
- wastewater treatment
- recalcitrant pollutants
- metal recovery
- nutrient recovery
- molecularly engineered materials
- functional materials
- adsorption and remediation
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