Current Studies in Functionalized Ion Separation Membrane Materials

A special issue of Membranes (ISSN 2077-0375). This special issue belongs to the section "Membrane Fabrication and Characterization".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2026) | Viewed by 1321

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
School of Metallurgical Engineering, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an 710055, China
Interests: membrane separation; porous material; ion separation; organic liquid separation

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Guest Editor
Key Laboratory of Environmental Engineering, College of Environmental and Municipal Engineering, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an 710055, China
Interests: membrane separation; forward osmosis; membrane fouling mechanism; membrane modification
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Guest Editor
Research Center for Membrane and Film Technology, Kobe University, 1-1 Rokkodaicho, Nada, Kobe City 657-8501, Japan
Interests: nanofiltration; reverse osmosis; polyamide membrane; interfacial polymerization
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Ion separation has gained significant attention due to its critical roles in diverse fields such as ion resource extraction, environmental remediation, and energy storage. Despite considerable efforts to enhance membrane separation performance, there remains a strong demand for membranes that offer higher ion permeation rates and improved selectivity, as well as robust chemical stability, excellent fouling resistance, and long-term durability. The development of advanced membrane materials with tailored functionalities is therefore essential to achieve efficient and sustainable ion separation. This Special Issue is dedicated to showcasing the latest fundamental and technological advances in the rational design, synthesis, and application of functionalized membrane materials for ion separation. It will cover various membrane processes including nanofiltration (NF), forward osmosis (FO), electrodialysis (ED), diffusion dialysis (DD), and other emerging membrane-based separation technologies.

Authors are invited to contribute original research articles, review articles, and short communications to this Special Issue. Topics for this Special Issue include, but are not limited to, the following: (1) novel membrane materials for ion separation, such as two-dimensional (2D) materials, metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), and covalent organic frameworks (COFs); (2) membrane-functionalizing strategies to enhance ion separation performance, for instance, through the introduction of ion recognition sites or surface modifications; (3) applications in ion resource recovery, including acid/alkali regeneration and lithium-ion extraction from various sources; (4) uses in water and wastewater treatment, such as desalination, heavy metal removal, and dye/ion separation; and (5) development of functional separators with selective ion permeability for battery systems, including lithium–sulfur, sodium–sulfur, and organic redox flow batteries.

Dr. Cuijing Liu
Dr. Miaolu He
Dr. Mengyang Hu
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. Membranes 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 2200 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 functionalization
  • ion separation

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Review

27 pages, 2000 KB  
Review
Recent Advances in Polymer of Intrinsic Microporosity (PIM) Membranes for Ion Separation Applications
by Cuijing Liu, Jingyi Xu and Linbo Li
Membranes 2026, 16(4), 126; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes16040126 - 31 Mar 2026
Viewed by 1064
Abstract
Polymers of intrinsic microporosity (PIMs) represent a novel class of microporous materials tailored for membrane separation. Initially explored predominantly for gas separation, they have subsequently found widespread utility in organic solvent nanofiltration. In recent years, their applicability has been further extended to ion [...] Read more.
Polymers of intrinsic microporosity (PIMs) represent a novel class of microporous materials tailored for membrane separation. Initially explored predominantly for gas separation, they have subsequently found widespread utility in organic solvent nanofiltration. In recent years, their applicability has been further extended to ion separation. However, few comprehensive reviews have been dedicated to summarizing the advances of PIMs in this burgeoning field to date. This review provides a systematic overview of the recent progress in PIM membranes for ion separation. First, the structural features of PIMs employed in ion separation are summarized, with an emphasis on structure–performance correlations. Subsequently, their diverse applications in ion separation are elaborated in detail, encompassing ion resource recovery, water treatment, and electrochemical energy storage systems. Next, the current challenges facing the application of PIMs in ion separation are outlined, and finally, conclusions are provided. This review aims to provide insightful guidance for the development of high-performance PIM-based membranes in this rapidly evolving research area. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Current Studies in Functionalized Ion Separation Membrane Materials)
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