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Development and Application of Novel Membranes

A special issue of Materials (ISSN 1996-1944). This special issue belongs to the section "Thin Films and Interfaces".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 June 2023) | Viewed by 13848

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Departamento de Ingeniería Química, Facultad de Química, Univesidad de Murcia, 30100 Murcia, Spain
Interests: water and wastewater treatment; membrane processes; fouling; modified membranes; recycle and reuse membrane; new materials
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Departamento de Ingeniería Química, Facultad de Química, Univesidad de Murcia, 30100 Murcia, Spain
Interests: water and wastewater treatment; membrane processes; fouling; modified membranes; recycle and reuse membrane; new materials
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Departamento de Ingeniería Química, Facultad de Química, Campus de Espinardo, Universidad de Murcia, 30100 Murcia, Spain
Interests: water and wastewater treatment; membrane processes; fouling; modified membranes; recycle and reuse membrane; new materials
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Research and utilization of membranes is not a novel topic, because the use of membranes is widely extended in many industrial processes, such as the food industry, pollutant removal, seawater desalination, wastewater treatment, medicine, paint industry, and conservation of the environment, among others. However, the development and application of membranes is still a field of interest full of new opportunities, as it presents certain advantages, such as it friendliness to the environment, energy saving capacity, and high efficiency.

In the aforementioned processes, different types of membranes have been used, including microfiltration (MF), ultrafiltration (UF), nanofiltration (NF), reverse osmosis (RO), electrodialysis (ED), and pervaporation, among others. The most common membranes in wastewater treatment are made of polysulphone (PSF) and poly(ether)sulfone (PES). However, due to their hydrophobicity, tjey are highly susceptible to fouling. Different physical and chemical membrane modification processes have been tried out, including modification of membrane materials before membrane formation up to graph polymerization, plasma treatment, physical preadsorption, and others.

This Special Issue aims to cover recent developments and advances in all aspects of novel membranes and their applications, including membrane processes, combined processes (including one membrane step), modified membranes, new materials, the possibility of recycling and reusing membranes, and new technologies to reduce fouling and improve the efficiency of enhanced processes.

Both original research and review papers are welcome.

Prof. Dr. Asuncion Maria Hidalgo
Dr. Maria Dolores Murcia
Dr. María Gómez
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • modified membranes
  • physical membrane modification process
  • chemical membrane modification process

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Related Special Issue

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

7 pages, 3260 KiB  
Communication
Clay-Coated Meshes with Superhydrophilicity and Underwater Superoleophobicity for Highly Efficient Oil/Water Separation
by Shaolin Yang, Cheng Zhen, Fangfang Li, Panpan Fu, Maohui Li, Youjun Lu and Zhilin Sheng
Materials 2023, 16(12), 4396; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16124396 - 15 Jun 2023
Viewed by 982
Abstract
A novel clay-coated mesh was fabricated via a simple brush-coating method without the use of special equipment, chemical reagents, and complex chemical reactions and operation processes. Possessing superhydrophilicity and underwater superoleophobicity, the clay-coated mesh can be used for efficiently separating various light oil/water [...] Read more.
A novel clay-coated mesh was fabricated via a simple brush-coating method without the use of special equipment, chemical reagents, and complex chemical reactions and operation processes. Possessing superhydrophilicity and underwater superoleophobicity, the clay-coated mesh can be used for efficiently separating various light oil/water mixtures. The clay-coated mesh also exhibits excellent reusability, maintaining a high separation efficiency of 99.4% after 30 repeated separations of the kerosene/water mixture. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Development and Application of Novel Membranes)
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13 pages, 1973 KiB  
Article
Ultrafiltration Membranes Modified with Reduced Graphene Oxide: Effect on Methyl Green Removal from Aqueous Solution
by María Dolores Murcia, Asunción M. Hidalgo, María Gómez, Gerardo León, Elisa Gómez and Marta Martínez
Materials 2023, 16(4), 1369; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16041369 - 6 Feb 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1543
Abstract
In this work, three types of ultrafiltration membranes with different characteristics (GR60PP, RC70PP and GR80PP) have been tested for the removal of the dye methyl green. The tests were first carried out with the three membranes without any modification and then with the [...] Read more.
In this work, three types of ultrafiltration membranes with different characteristics (GR60PP, RC70PP and GR80PP) have been tested for the removal of the dye methyl green. The tests were first carried out with the three membranes without any modification and then with the membranes’ surfaces modified with reduced graphene oxide (rGO). The modification was achieved through physical treatment. The CR70PP membrane did not support the modification treatment and was discarded. The other membranes were initially characterized with distilled water tests to study the permeability to the solvent, and later, the permeate fluxes and the values of rejection coefficients were obtained at different working pressures with a fixed dye initial concentration. In addition, SEM images and SEM-EDX spectra of the native and modified membranes were obtained before and after the dye tests. The GR60PP membrane has shown the best results in relation to the modification because it has increased its rejection levels. On the opposite, the GR80PP membrane performs better without surface modification, achieving the highest rejection values and the highest permeate fluxes in its native form. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Development and Application of Novel Membranes)
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15 pages, 3561 KiB  
Article
Fabrication, Structural and Biological Characterization of Zinc-Containing Bioactive Glasses and Their Use in Membranes for Guided Bone Regeneration
by Sílvia R. Gavinho, Ana Sofia Pádua, Isabel Sá-Nogueira, Jorge C. Silva, João P. Borges, Luis C. Costa and Manuel Pedro F. Graça
Materials 2023, 16(3), 956; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16030956 - 19 Jan 2023
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 2043
Abstract
Polymeric membranes are widely used in guided bone regeneration (GBR), particularly in dentistry. In addition, bioactive glasses can be added to the polymers in order to develop a matrix that is osteoconductive and osteoinductive, increasing cell adhesion and proliferation. The bioactive glasses allow [...] Read more.
Polymeric membranes are widely used in guided bone regeneration (GBR), particularly in dentistry. In addition, bioactive glasses can be added to the polymers in order to develop a matrix that is osteoconductive and osteoinductive, increasing cell adhesion and proliferation. The bioactive glasses allow the insertion into its network of therapeutic ions in order to add specific biological properties. The addition of zinc into bioactive glasses can promote antibacterial activity and induce the differentiation and proliferation of the bone cells. In this study, bioactive glasses containing zinc (0.25, 0.5, 1 and 2 mol%) were developed and structurally and biologically characterized. The biological results show that the Zn-containing bioactive glasses do not present significant antibacterial activity, but the addition of zinc at the highest concentration does not compromise the bioactivity and promotes the viability of Saos-2 cells. The cell culture assays in the membranes (PCL, PCL:BG and PCL:BGZn2) showed that zinc addition promotes cell viability and an increase in alkaline phosphatase (ALP) production. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Development and Application of Novel Membranes)
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15 pages, 7459 KiB  
Article
Supercritical Phase Inversion to Produce Photocatalytic Active PVDF-coHFP_TiO2 Composites for the Degradation of Sudan Blue II Dye
by Mariangela Guastaferro, Lucia Baldino, Vincenzo Vaiano, Stefano Cardea and Ernesto Reverchon
Materials 2022, 15(24), 8894; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15248894 - 13 Dec 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1483
Abstract
TiO2-loaded poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) (PVDF-coHFP) membranes were produced by supercritical CO2-assisted phase inversion. Three different TiO2 loadings were tested: 10, 20, and 30 wt% with respect to the polymer. Increasing the TiO2 amount from 10 wt% to 20 [...] Read more.
TiO2-loaded poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) (PVDF-coHFP) membranes were produced by supercritical CO2-assisted phase inversion. Three different TiO2 loadings were tested: 10, 20, and 30 wt% with respect to the polymer. Increasing the TiO2 amount from 10 wt% to 20 wt% in the starting solution, the transition from leafy-like to leafy-cellular morphology was observed in the section of the membrane. When 30 wt% TiO2 was used, the entire membrane section showed agglomerates of TiO2 nanoparticles. These polymeric membranes were tested to remove Sudan Blue II (SB) dye from aqueous solutions. The adsorption/photocatalytic processes revealed that membrane morphology and TiO2 cluster size were the parameters that mainly affected the dye removal efficiency. Moreover, after five cycles of exposure of these membranes to UV light, SB removal was higher than 85%. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Development and Application of Novel Membranes)
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16 pages, 1796 KiB  
Article
Cross-Linked Carboxymethylcellulose Adsorbtion Membranes from Ziziphus lotus for the Removal of Organic Dye Pollutants
by Sara Saad, Izaskun Dávila, Amaia Morales, Jalel Labidi and Younes Moussaoui
Materials 2022, 15(24), 8760; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15248760 - 8 Dec 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1659
Abstract
The goal of this study is to assess Ziziphus lotus’s potential for producing carboxymethylcellulose adsorption membranes with the ability to adsorb methyl green from wastewaters by the revalorization of its cellulosic fraction. The cellulose from this feedstock was extracted by an alkaline [...] Read more.
The goal of this study is to assess Ziziphus lotus’s potential for producing carboxymethylcellulose adsorption membranes with the ability to adsorb methyl green from wastewaters by the revalorization of its cellulosic fraction. The cellulose from this feedstock was extracted by an alkaline process and TAPPI standard technique T 203 cm-99 and afterwards they were carboxymethylated. The obtained carboxymethylcelluloses were deeply characterized, being observed that the carboxymethylcellulose produced from the alkaline cellulose presented the higher solubility due to its lower crystallinity degree (53.31 vs. 59.4%) and its higher substitution degree (0.85 vs. 0.74). This carboxymethylcellulose was cross-linked with citric acid in an aqueous treatment in order to form an adsorption membrane. The citric acid provided rigidity to the membrane and although it was hydrophilic it was not soluble in water. By evaluating the potential of the produced membrane for the removal of pollutant dyes from wastewater, it was observed that the adsorption membrane prepared from the carboxymethylcellulose’s produced from the Ziziphus lotus was able to remove 99% of the dye, methyl green, present in the wastewater. Thus, this work demonstrates the potential of the Ziziphus lotus for the production of a novel and cost-effective carboxymethylcellulose adsorption membrane with high capacity to treat wastewaters. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Development and Application of Novel Membranes)
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11 pages, 1366 KiB  
Article
Impact of Cross-Linked Hyaluronic Acid on Osteogenic Differentiation of SAOS-2 Cells in an Air-Lift Model
by Bianca Nobis, Thomas Ostermann, Julian Weiler, Thomas Dittmar and Anton Friedmann
Materials 2022, 15(19), 6528; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15196528 - 20 Sep 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1665
Abstract
The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of cross-linked hyaluronic acid on osteoblast-like cells seeded on top of two collagen substrates, native porcine pericardium membrane (substrate A) and ribose cross-linked collagen membranes (substrate B), in an air-lift model. Substrates A [...] Read more.
The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of cross-linked hyaluronic acid on osteoblast-like cells seeded on top of two collagen substrates, native porcine pericardium membrane (substrate A) and ribose cross-linked collagen membranes (substrate B), in an air-lift model. Substrates A or B, saturated with three hyaluronic acid concentrations, served as membranes for SAOS-2 cells seeded on top. Cultivation followed for 7 and 14 days in the air-lift model. Controls used the same substrates without hyaluronic pre-treatment. Cells were harvested, and four (Runx2, BGLAP, IBSP, Cx43) different osteogenic differentiation markers were assessed by qPCR. Triplicated experiment outcomes were statistically analyzed (ANOVA, t-test; SPSS). Supplementary histologic analysis confirmed the cells’ vitality. After seven days, only few markers were overexpressed on both substrates. After 14 days, targeted genes were highly expressed on substrate A. The same substrate treated with 1:100 diluted xHyA disclosed statistically significant different expression level vs. substrate B (p = 0.032). Time (p = 0.0001), experimental condition as a function of time (p = 0.022), and substrate (p = 0.028) were statistically significant factors. Histological imaging demonstrated vitality and visualized nuclei. We conclude that the impact of hyaluronic acid resulted in a higher expression profile of SAOS-2 cells on substrate A compared to substrate B in an air-lift culture after two weeks. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Development and Application of Novel Membranes)
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15 pages, 6576 KiB  
Article
Mixed Manganese Dioxide on Magnetite Core MnO2@Fe3O4 as a Filler in a High-Performance Magnetic Alginate Membrane
by Paweł Grzybek, Roman Turczyn and Gabriela Dudek
Materials 2021, 14(24), 7667; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14247667 - 12 Dec 2021
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2721
Abstract
The process of ethanol dehydration via pervaporation was performed using alginate membranes filled with manganese dioxide and a mixed filler consisting of manganese dioxide on magnetite core MnO2@Fe3O4 particles. The crystallization of manganese dioxide on magnetite nanoparticle surface [...] Read more.
The process of ethanol dehydration via pervaporation was performed using alginate membranes filled with manganese dioxide and a mixed filler consisting of manganese dioxide on magnetite core MnO2@Fe3O4 particles. The crystallization of manganese dioxide on magnetite nanoparticle surface resulted in a better dispersibility of this mixed filler in polymer matrix, with the preservation of the magnetic properties of magnetite. The prepared membranes were characterized by contact angle, degree of swelling and SEM microscopy measurements and correlated with their effectiveness in the pervaporative dehydration of ethanol. The results show a strong relation between filler properties and separation efficiency. The membranes filled with the mixed filler outperformed the membranes containing only neat oxide, exhibiting both higher flux and separation factor. The performance changed depending on filler content; thus, the presence of optimum filler loading was observed for the studied membranes. The best results were obtained for the alginate membrane filled with 7 wt.% of mixed filler MnO2@Fe3O4 particles. For this membrane, the separation factor and flux equalled to 483 and 1.22 kg·m−2·h−1, respectively. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Development and Application of Novel Membranes)
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