Emerging Superwetting Membranes: New Advances in Water Treatment

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2025 | Viewed by 624

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China
Interests: membrane separation engineering; water resource acquisition process based on biomimetic special wettability and micro-nano structure interface, such as mist capture and photothermal evaporation

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Water treatment is a critical field that faces numerous challenges, ranging from the removal of contaminants to the efficient management of water resources. As technological advancements continue to shape our approach to water treatment, emerging superwetting membranes have emerged as promising tools that offer unprecedented performance and efficiency. These membranes exhibit exceptional wetting properties, enabling them to handle a wide range of aqueous solutions with enhanced separation capabilities and durability.

This Special Issue aims to explore the latest research, developments, and applications of emerging superwetting membranes in water treatment. We invite contributions from researchers, engineers, and practitioners in the field to share their insights, innovations, and experiences, thereby fostering a comprehensive understanding of the potential and limitations of these novel membranes. The Special Issue welcomes submissions on, but not limited to, the following topics:

Fundamentals of Superwetting Membranes:

  • Theoretical and experimental studies on the wetting behavior of membranes;
  • Surface engineering techniques for achieving superwetting properties;
  • Characterization methods for assessing superwetting membrane performance.

Membrane Development and Fabrication:

  • New materials and synthesis methods for superwetting membranes;
  • Nanotechnology and advanced manufacturing techniques for membrane enhancement;
  • Environmental and economic considerations in membrane production.

Water Treatment Applications:

  • Separation of heavy metals, organic pollutants, and microorganisms using superwetting membranes;
  • Desalination and brine management;
  • Oil–water separation and wastewater treatment.

Dye Removal and Retention:

  • Membrane bioreactors and hybrid systems incorporating superwetting membranes.

Performance and Durability:

  • Long-term performance evaluation of superwetting membranes;
  • Fouling, cleaning, and regeneration strategies for membrane maintenance;
  • Comparison of superwetting membranes with traditional membrane technologies.

Scale-Up and Commercialization:

  • Pilot-scale and full-scale applications of superwetting membranes;
  • Economic analysis and cost–benefit assessments;
  • Market trends and future prospects for superwetting membrane technologies.

Dr. Cailong Zhou
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • superwetting membranes
  • water treatment
  • surface engineering
  • membrane separation
  • nanotechnology
  • heavy metal removal
  • organic pollutant separation
  • desalination
  • oil–water separation
  • membrane bioreactors
  • membrane fouling
  • membrane durability

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

14 pages, 4138 KiB  
Article
Preparation of Tannic Acid-Pectin Coated PVDF Membrane for High-Efficiency Separation of Oil and Water Emulsions
by Liangku Zhai, Jiuyun Cui, Lei Lu, Hailong Wang, Can Wei, Jirong Luo and Atian Xie
Membranes 2025, 15(5), 155; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes15050155 - 16 May 2025
Viewed by 186
Abstract
The simple preparation of superhydrophilic membranes with good stability is of great significance for efficient oil–water separation. In this work, a polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membrane modified with tannic acid (TA) and pectin (PT) was developed through immersion in TA/PT solutions, facilitating the formation [...] Read more.
The simple preparation of superhydrophilic membranes with good stability is of great significance for efficient oil–water separation. In this work, a polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membrane modified with tannic acid (TA) and pectin (PT) was developed through immersion in TA/PT solutions, facilitating the formation of complexes via co-deposition. The optimized PVDF@TA/PT3 membrane exhibited superhydrophilicity/superoleophobicity. The membrane achieved remarkable separation efficiencies exceeding 98.3% and fluxes ranging from 71.3 to 156.3 L m−2 h−1 for various oil–water emulsions under gravity-driven conditions. Notably, the membrane maintained exceptional durability through 10 separation cycles, retaining about 98% efficiency while exhibiting strong antifouling properties. Excellent separation performance coupled with facile fabrication protocol and chemical stability of the membrane, position the PVDF@TA/PT membrane as a technologically viable candidate for wastewater purification. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Superwetting Membranes: New Advances in Water Treatment)
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15 pages, 5927 KiB  
Article
Fabrication of Composite Membrane by Constructing Helical Carbon Nanotubes in Ceramic Support Channels for Efficient Emulsion Separation
by Kai Yuan, Rizhi Chen and Yiqing Zeng
Membranes 2025, 15(5), 150; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes15050150 - 15 May 2025
Viewed by 149
Abstract
Membrane technology has emerged as an effective solution for the purification of oily wastewater, particularly in the separation of oil-in-water (O/W) emulsions. However, challenges, such as membrane fouling and the development of robust ceramic membranes with superior stability, continue to limit their widespread [...] Read more.
Membrane technology has emerged as an effective solution for the purification of oily wastewater, particularly in the separation of oil-in-water (O/W) emulsions. However, challenges, such as membrane fouling and the development of robust ceramic membranes with superior stability, continue to limit their widespread application. In this work, helical carbon nanotubes (HCNTs) with interlocking structures were grown in ceramic support channels through the airflow-induced chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method to fabricate membrane material with high hydrophilicity and underwater oleophobicity. The influence of CVD parameters on the growth of HCNTs and the membrane separation performance for O/W emulsions were studied systematically. The optimal HCNTs-SiC composite membrane was prepared at 600 °C, featuring a pore size of 0.95 μm and flux of 229.29 L·m−2·h−1. This membrane demonstrated exceptional purification efficiency (99.99%) for a 500 ppm O/W emulsion, along with a stable flux of 32.48 L·m−2·h−1 under a transmembrane pressure (TMP) of 1.5 bar. Furthermore, the unique membrane structure and surface heterogeneity contributed to its long service life and excellent recovery capability. This work provides a novel strategy for designing high-performance ceramic membranes for oil–water separation, offering potential solutions to current limitations in membrane technology. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Superwetting Membranes: New Advances in Water Treatment)
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