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Membranes
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Electrodialysis and Reverse Electrodialysis in Ion-Exchange Membrane Systems
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Electrodialysis and Reverse Electrodialysis in Ion-Exchange Membrane Systems

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2026 | Viewed by 3730

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Antonio A. Moya

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Departamento de Física, Universidad de Jaén, Campus de Las Lagunillas s/n, 23071 Jaén, Spain
Interests: electromembrane processes; numerical simulation; ion-exchange membranes; electrochemical impedance; renewable energy storage; reverse electrodialysis; electrodiffusion processes; Bayesian optimization algorithm

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Electrodialysis (ED) and reverse electrodialysis (RED) are electro-membrane processes that play pivotal roles in desalination, wastewater treatment, and energy harvesting from salinity gradients. The increasing global demand for freshwater and renewable energy continues to drive innovation and accelerate advancements in these technologies. While ED is a well-established technique, current research is increasingly focusing on boosting its sustainability by aligning with circular economy principles through membrane recycling and system miniaturization. RED, as an emerging technique, offers exciting potential for low-carbon energy generation, particularly when coupled with bioelectrochemical or hybrid technologies.

This Special Issue, “Electrodialysis and Reverse Electrodialysis in Ion-Exchange Membrane Systems,” aims to expand our understanding of conventional ED and RED applications by highlighting new challenges and interdisciplinary breakthroughs. We invite original contributions exploring hybrid configurations such as ED-RO, RED-FO, and RED-MFC, bioelectrochemical integrations, membrane lifecycle management, strategies for membrane durability and recyclability, and system optimization under dynamic or low-grade energy conditions. We particularly encourage submissions that include techno-economic evaluations, integration into circular water–energy frameworks, and the development of advanced membrane materials for ED/RED applications.

Grounded in innovation and sustainability, this Special Issue will present a fresh perspective on ED and RED, aiming to engage a wide scientific audience. Contributions should highlight original methodologies, tackle key environmental or operational challenges, and convey a clear editorial vision for advancing low-carbon, resource-efficient membrane technologies.

We look forward to your valuable contributions to this Special Issue.

Prof. Dr. Antonio A. Moya
Guest Editor

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

  • ion-exchange membrane systems
  • electrodialysis
  • reverse electrodialysis
  • electro-membrane processes

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

23 pages, 3393 KB  
Article
A New Power Dissipation Model and Its Analytic Formulation for Electric-Field-Driven Water Dissociation in the Cationic/Anionic Bipolar Polymer Membrane Junctions
by Mohamed Fadel Anass Ma-el-ainine, Rachid Boukhili and Oumarou Savadogo
Membranes 2026, 16(3), 94; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes16030094 - 2 Mar 2026
Viewed by 900
Abstract
Bipolar Polymer Membranes (BPMs) enable the creation of large, stable pH gradients by driving water dissociation (WD) at the cation/anion junction under reverse bias, a process central to electrodialysis, CO2 capture, and emerging acid–alkaline water electrolysis. Yet despite decades of study, the [...] Read more.
Bipolar Polymer Membranes (BPMs) enable the creation of large, stable pH gradients by driving water dissociation (WD) at the cation/anion junction under reverse bias, a process central to electrodialysis, CO2 capture, and emerging acid–alkaline water electrolysis. Yet despite decades of study, the mechanism by which intense interfacial electric fields accelerate WD remains debated and is often modeled with ad hoc assumptions. In this study, we present a power dissipation model in which minority ions from water autoprotolysis act as carriers that continuously dissipate field-supplied power in the hydrated nanometric junction. This dissipative input increases the local probability of heterolytic O–H bond cleavage and analytically leads to a quadratic dependence of the dissociation rate constant on the field. Without adjustable parameters, the model reproduces the required orders of magnitude for the enhancement ratio kd(E)/kd(0), where kd(E) is the field-enhanced water dissociation rate constant and kd(0) is its zero-field value across typical BPM fields, and yields a quadratic current–voltage junction law. A proof-of-principle measurement on a commercial Fumasep® FBM bipolar membrane confirms the quadratic current–voltage trend, supporting a power-dissipation-driven water dissociation mechanism and providing a concise, falsifiable baseline for future studies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Electrodialysis and Reverse Electrodialysis in Ion-Exchange Membrane Systems)
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24 pages, 5297 KB  
Article
A Hybrid CFD Platform for Colloidal Fouling Prediction in Electrodialysis
by Francesco Volpe, Giuseppe Battaglia, Andrea Cipollina, Giorgio Micale and Alessandro Tamburini
Membranes 2025, 15(12), 375; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes15120375 - 6 Dec 2025
Viewed by 1050
Abstract
Fouling phenomena are among the main issues in membrane processes, worsening unit performance and membrane properties. So far, few modelling approaches have been proposed to predict colloidal fouling in electromembrane-based technologies. This work presents an original simulation platform that couples computational fluid dynamics [...] Read more.
Fouling phenomena are among the main issues in membrane processes, worsening unit performance and membrane properties. So far, few modelling approaches have been proposed to predict colloidal fouling in electromembrane-based technologies. This work presents an original simulation platform that couples computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations with electrodialysis (ED) and colloidal fouling models to investigate the impact of colloidal deposition at the channel and unit scales of ED systems. Fluid dynamics, salt transport and fouling layer growth were all addressed. The model was calibrated and validated with colloidal fouling data from the literature. The regions more susceptible to fouling growth were identified. Polarization phenomena, as well as the increase in pressure losses and electrical resistance over time, were evaluated. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Electrodialysis and Reverse Electrodialysis in Ion-Exchange Membrane Systems)
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15 pages, 1659 KB  
Article
Simple Analytical Approximations for Donnan Ion Partitioning in Permeable Ion-Exchange Membranes Under Reverse Electrodialysis Conditions
by Antonio Ángel Moya
Membranes 2025, 15(12), 365; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes15120365 - 1 Dec 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1047
Abstract
Reverse electrodialysis (RED) is a relatively recent technology for renewable energy harvesting from the interaction of river and seawater. This paper revisits the thermodynamic equilibrium governing the ionic transport processes through ion-exchange membranes (IEMs) under RED conditions and theoretically derives approximate analytical expressions [...] Read more.
Reverse electrodialysis (RED) is a relatively recent technology for renewable energy harvesting from the interaction of river and seawater. This paper revisits the thermodynamic equilibrium governing the ionic transport processes through ion-exchange membranes (IEMs) under RED conditions and theoretically derives approximate analytical expressions for the ionic concentrations at the inner boundaries of a permeable membrane with well-stirred baths. The equation for the Donnan ion partitioning at the membrane–solution interface, which is based on the equality of the electrochemical potential in the two phases, is analysed for binary salts with symmetric (1:1) and asymmetric (2:1) electrolytes, by considering bathing solutions with the equivalent concentrations 0.02 M in the dilute bath, and 0.5, 1, and 1.5 M in the concentrate one. Simple approximate analytical expressions exhibiting the evolution with the membrane fixed-charge concentration of the counter-ionic concentrations at the inner boundaries of the membrane, the concentration gradients inside the membrane, the total Donnan electric potential, and the ionic partitioning coefficients have been derived. The approximate generalised expressions for a general z1:z2 binary electrolyte are also presented for the first time. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Electrodialysis and Reverse Electrodialysis in Ion-Exchange Membrane Systems)
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