Functionalized Membranes: New Trends in Preparation and Advanced Applications
A special issue of Membranes (ISSN 2077-0375).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 28 February 2026 | Viewed by 112
Special Issue Editors
Interests: separation processes based on functionalized membranes; supported liquid membranes; polymer inclusion membranes; membrane systems for the clean-up of natural waters and industrial wastewaters; physico-chemical and electrical characterization of membranes; environmental and industrial sampling and analysis
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: separation techniques; water quality; functionalized membranes; metals; organic pollutants; gas chromatography
Interests: environment; membrane processes; industrial wastewater tratment; membrane process modeling; recovery of high-value compounds from wastewater; physical–chemical separation processes
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Functionalized membranes—membranes that have been chemically or physically modified to enhance specific properties—represent a cutting-edge area in membrane science.
Emerging functionalization strategies, such as surface modification, polymer grafting, and the incorporation of active or hybrid components, enable the design of membranes with tailored functionalities. These modifications can substantially improve membrane performance by increasing selectivity, permeability, chemical and mechanical stability, or catalytic activity.
Examples include ion-exchange membranes, polymer inclusion membranes, supported liquid membranes, mixed-matrix membranes, molecularly imprinted membranes, and catalytic membranes, among others. As a result, functionalized membranes are increasingly applied in a wide range of environmental and industrial processes, including water treatment, resource recovery, gas separation, and chemical synthesis.
Despite their potential, further research is needed to develop more sustainable materials and scalable fabrication methods, broaden their applications, and address key challenges like long-term stability, fouling, and degradation under real-world conditions.
We invite original research papers, short communications, and review articles that explore innovative strategies for membrane fabrication, advanced characterization techniques, and novel applications. Topics of particular interest include the following:
- Membrane fabrication and characterization: green synthesis, stability and reusability, characterization techniques, and more.
- Functionalization strategies: surface chemical modification; grafting; and extractant immobilization, among others.
- Membrane applications: analytical, environmental, industrial, water treatment, and others.
This Special Issue seeks to offer a comprehensive perspective on the current state of the art, highlighting key challenges and outlining future directions in the development and application of functionalized membranes. It is launched within the framework of the upcoming 1st International Symposium on Functionalized Membranes (ISFMEM 2025) (Girona, Spain, 7–10 October 2025), which will bring together researchers to discuss the latest advances in the field.
Dr. Clàudia Fontàs
Dr. Enriqueta Anticó
Dr. Magdalena Cifuentes Cabezas
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 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
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
- functionalized membranes
- membrane modification
- sustainable membranes
- water treatment
- advanced applications
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