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Membranes
Special Issues
Electrodialysis and Novel Electro-Membrane Processes
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Electrodialysis and Novel Electro-Membrane Processes

A special issue of Membranes (ISSN 2077-0375). This special issue belongs to the section "Membrane Applications for Water Treatment".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2026) | Viewed by 8801

Editors

Prof. Dr. Jiangnan Shen

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Chemical Engineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China
Interests: water and wastewater treatment; electrodialysis; polymer chemistry; nanofiltration; membrane materials; ion exchange membrane
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Junbin Liao

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Chemical Engineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China
Interests: ion exchange membrane; ultrafiltration membrane; nanofiltration membrane; reverse osmosis membrane; (reverse) electrodialysis; fuel cell; redox flow battery
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Electrodialysis is a mass separation process in which electrically charged membranes and an electrical potential difference are used to separate ionic species from an aqueous solution and other uncharged components. Electrodialysis is used widely today for the desalination of brackish water, and, in some areas of the world, it is the main process for the production of potable water. Although of major importance, water desalination is by no means the only significant application. In addition to conventional electrodialysis, there are other novel processes, such as diffusion dialysis, Donnan dialysis, electrodialytic water dissociation, ion distillation, ladder electrodialysis, etc., with a multitude of potential large-scale applications. Most of these processes that are utilizing standard or special property ion-exchange membranes as key elements are still in the early stage of development, but they are also rapidly gaining commercial and technical relevance. Ion-exchange membranes are also used on a large scale in energy storage or conversion systems such as batteries and fuel cells and in electrochemical production processes, such as chlorine–alkaline electrolysis. In many applications, electrodialysis and related processes are in direct competition with other separation techniques, such as distillation, ion exchange, reverse osmosis, and various chromatographic procedures. In other applications, there are very few technically and economically feasible alternatives to the electro-membrane processes. This Special Issue is a knowledge platform gathering all recent advances in the broad scope of membrane fouling. Articles, case studies, reviews, and communications are all welcome and held in high regard.

Prof. Dr. Jiangnan Shen
Dr. Junbin Liao
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-anonymized 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

  • ion-exchange membrane
  • electrodialysis
  • desalination
  • concentration
  • selective separation

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

23 pages, 1349 KB  
Article
Assessment of Peptides and Membrane Physico-Chemical Characteristics on Migration Selectivity and Recovery of Antimicrobial Fractions Using Electrodialysis with Ultrafiltration Membrane on a Calf Cruor Hydrolysate
by Véronique Perreault, Jacinthe Thibodeau, Sara García-Vela and Laurent Bazinet
Membranes 2026, 16(6), 202; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes16060202 - 10 Jun 2026
Viewed by 529
Abstract
In recent years, cruor from slaughterhouse blood has garnered growing interest as a potential source of antimicrobial peptides obtained through enzymatic hydrolysis. In addition, electrodialysis with ultrafiltration membrane (EDUF) represents a strategy for valorizing peptide-rich hydrolysates, enabling the selective separation and concentration of [...] Read more.
In recent years, cruor from slaughterhouse blood has garnered growing interest as a potential source of antimicrobial peptides obtained through enzymatic hydrolysis. In addition, electrodialysis with ultrafiltration membrane (EDUF) represents a strategy for valorizing peptide-rich hydrolysates, enabling the selective separation and concentration of antimicrobial peptides, according to their size and charge. Hence, this study evaluated the potential of EDUF to fractionate, for the first time, calf cruor hydrolysate and explore its use as a novel source of antimicrobial peptides. The resulting peptide fractions were characterized to investigate the selectivity of peptide migration in relation to peptide physico-chemical characteristics and membrane properties and to finally assess their antimicrobial activity. High migration rates of 12.75 ± 2.17 g/m2h and 8.94 ± 0.38 g/m2h were observed for the cationic (P+) and anionic (P−) recovery fractions, respectively. These results suggested that peptide migration from calf cruor hydrolysate to both recovery fractions during EDUF was influenced by the combined effects of molecular weight, net charge, hydrophobicity, specific amino acid residues (L, Y), and peptide–membrane interactions. Furthermore, the initial and final hydrolysates as well as P+ fractions exhibited antifungal activities against Paecilomyces spp. and Rhodotorula mucilaginosa with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) ranging from 0.312 to 0.615 mg/mL and minimum fungicidal concentrations (MFCs) ranging from 0.312 to 1.250 mg/mL. In contrast, the P− fraction did not exhibit antifungal activity, but a slight anti-Listeria activity was detected, with a MIC of 10 mg/mL. These findings highlight the potential of upcycling calf blood into functional antifungal and antibacterial agents, supporting a circular economy approach and transforming waste streams into value-added ingredients that enhance food preservation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Electrodialysis and Novel Electro-Membrane Processes)
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23 pages, 2122 KB  
Article
Pilot Plant Test of Single-Pass Electrodialysis Reversal System
by Marian Turek, Ewa Bernacka and Krzysztof Mitko
Membranes 2026, 16(4), 114; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes16040114 - 25 Mar 2026
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1241
Abstract
Increasing the recovery in electrodialysis desalination may be achieved using a single-pass operation at different linear flow velocity values in the diluate and concentrate compartments. The risk of inner leakage as well as membrane bulging and damage can be minimized by controlling the [...] Read more.
Increasing the recovery in electrodialysis desalination may be achieved using a single-pass operation at different linear flow velocity values in the diluate and concentrate compartments. The risk of inner leakage as well as membrane bulging and damage can be minimized by controlling the pressure difference between the diluate and concentrate compartments. This solution has been tested in a pilot plant for initial demineralization of river water using an electrodialyzer of our own design. Both under- and overlimiting regimes have been tested, as well as long work cycles between electrode polarity reversals. Water with a conductivity of about 500 µS/cm was desalinated at a recovery of 70–75%, and the desalination degree was 75–96%. It was also found that the unit cost could be decreased by 52% compared to a commercial solution when the diluate conductivity was 74.3 μS/cm. A deep demineralization, from 511 μS/cm down to 17.9 μS/cm in a single-stage EDR or 8.52 μS/cm in a two-stage EDR, was also confirmed experimentally at the pilot scale. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Electrodialysis and Novel Electro-Membrane Processes)
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18 pages, 2687 KB  
Article
Synergistic Interfacial Design of Cation Exchange Membranes via Sequential Electro-Assembly for High-Efficiency Lithium Separation
by Zhibo Zhang, Geting Xu, Yangbo Qiu, Junbin Liao, Tong Mu, Wanji Zhou, Yunfang Gao, Jianquan Weng and Jiangnan Shen
Membranes 2026, 16(3), 87; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes16030087 - 28 Feb 2026
Viewed by 1045
Abstract
The industrial application of modified ion-exchange membranes is limited by complex, discontinuous ex-situ processes. This study introduces an in-situ electro-assembly strategy that enables the direct fabrication of a selective layer within an electrodialysis stack without disassembly. By utilizing a programmed current reversal to [...] Read more.
The industrial application of modified ion-exchange membranes is limited by complex, discontinuous ex-situ processes. This study introduces an in-situ electro-assembly strategy that enables the direct fabrication of a selective layer within an electrodialysis stack without disassembly. By utilizing a programmed current reversal to orchestrate the sequential deposition of polyethyleneimine (PEI), glutaraldehyde cross-linking, and polystyrene sulfonate (PSS) adsorption, we achieve meticulous interfacial engineering on a commercial cation exchange membrane. Comprehensive characterization confirms the successful construction of a hydrophilic, charge-tuned multilayer, which enhances ion transport kinetics and raises the limiting current density. This method culminates in a membrane with an exceptional Li+/Mg2+ selectivity of 107.9 and robust stability, retaining a significant selectivity of 47 over 10 cycles in real salt lake brine. This synergistic integration of operational simplicity, interfacial precision, and superior performance establishes a transformative and scalable platform for manufacturing high-performance membranes for selective ion separation from complex brine sources. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Electrodialysis and Novel Electro-Membrane Processes)
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16 pages, 4029 KB  
Article
Optimization and Scale-Up of a Two-Level Electrodialysis Process for the Concentration of Lithium Chloride with High Energy Efficiency
by Yu Zhang, Jikuan Wang, Liangyu Yu and Jiangnan Shen
Membranes 2025, 15(9), 283; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes15090283 - 22 Sep 2025
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1701
Abstract
Traditional thermal concentration processes for LiCl, such as multi-effect evaporation and mechanical vapor recompression (MVR), suffer from drawbacks including high energy consumption and severe equipment corrosion. However, electrodialysis (ED) technology offers several advantages in the concentration process, including high efficiency, energy conservation, selective [...] Read more.
Traditional thermal concentration processes for LiCl, such as multi-effect evaporation and mechanical vapor recompression (MVR), suffer from drawbacks including high energy consumption and severe equipment corrosion. However, electrodialysis (ED) technology offers several advantages in the concentration process, including high efficiency, energy conservation, selective separation, and the absence of phase-change requirements. This study presents an innovative two-level ED process for efficient LiCl concentration, addressing the limitations of conventional thermal methods. Through systematic small-scale and scale-up experiments, we developed an optimized process achieving exceptional performance. The system attained Li+ concentrations of 22.17 g/L in the concentrated solution and 21.17 g/L in the recycled dilute solution, while reducing residual Li+ in discharge water to just 1.08 g/L. Remarkably, the process demonstrated significant energy efficiency, with a total consumption of only 85.22 kWh/t LiCl and a minimal water migration amount of 4.21 L/(m2·h). Economic analysis revealed substantial cost savings of 14.66 USD/t LiCl compared to traditional evaporation methods. These findings establish ED as a technically and economically viable solution for industrial LiCl concentration, offering both high efficiency and environmental benefits. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Electrodialysis and Novel Electro-Membrane Processes)
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24 pages, 12218 KB  
Article
Application of Membrane Capacitive Deionization as Pretreatment Strategy for Enhancing Salinity Gradient Power Generation
by Seoyeon Lee, Juyoung Lee, Jaehyun Ju, Hyeongrak Cho, Yongjun Choi and Sangho Lee
Membranes 2025, 15(2), 56; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes15020056 - 8 Feb 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 3310
Abstract
Salinity gradient power (SGP) technologies, including pressure-retarded osmosis (PRO) and reverse electrodialysis (RED), have the potential to be utilized for the purpose of harvesting energy from the difference in salinity between two water streams. One challenge associated with SGP is a reduction in [...] Read more.
Salinity gradient power (SGP) technologies, including pressure-retarded osmosis (PRO) and reverse electrodialysis (RED), have the potential to be utilized for the purpose of harvesting energy from the difference in salinity between two water streams. One challenge associated with SGP is a reduction in power density due to membrane fouling when impaired water is utilized as a low-salinity water stream. Accordingly, this study sought to explore the feasibility of membrane capacitive deionization (MCDI), a low-energy water treatment technique, as a novel pretreatment method for SGP. Laboratory-scale experiments were conducted to evaluate the impact of MCDI pretreatment on the performance of PRO and RED. The low-salinity water was obtained from a brackish water reverse osmosis (BWRO) plant, while the high-salinity water was a synthetic seawater desalination brine. The removal efficiency of organic and inorganic substances in brackish water reverse osmosis (BWRO) brine by MCDI was estimated, as well as theoretical energy consumption. The results demonstrated that MCDI attained removal efficiencies of up to 88.8% for organic substances and 78.8% for inorganic substances. This resulted in a notable enhancement in the lower density for both PRO and RED. The power density of PRO exhibited a notable enhancement, reaching 3.57 W/m2 in comparison to 1.14 W/m2 recorded for the BWRO brine. Conversely, the power density of RED increased from 1.47 W/m2 to 2.05 W/m2. Given that the energy consumption by MCDI is relatively low, it can be surmised that the MCDI pretreatment enhances the overall efficiency of both PRO and RED. However, to fully capitalize on the benefits of MCDI pretreatment, it is recommended that further process optimization be conducted. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Electrodialysis and Novel Electro-Membrane Processes)
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