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Membranes
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Green Membrane Technologies: Advancements in Materials and Energy Efficiency for...
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Green Membrane Technologies: Advancements in Materials and Energy Efficiency for 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: 1 October 2025 | Viewed by 3661

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Jehad A. Kharraz

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Chemical and Petroleum Engineering Department, College of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Khalifa University, Abu Dhabi P.O. Box 127788, United Arab Emirates
Interests: membrane-based desalination and wastewater treatment; water-energy-environment nexus; control of fouling, scaling, and wetting in membrane distillation (MD); advanced nano-enabled membranes and their applications; photothermal-catalytic membrane distillation for energy efficiency
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

I am pleased to invite you to submit your research for publication in a Special Issue on "Green Membrane Technologies: Advancements in Materials and Energy Efficiency for Water Treatment". This Special Issue focuses on the latest developments in membrane technologies designed to address global water challenges, with an emphasis on energy efficiency, advanced materials, and next-generation solutions for desalination and wastewater treatment.

As global water scarcity intensifies, there is an urgent need for innovative, sustainable, and energy-efficient water treatment solutions. Membrane technologies, particularly in desalination and wastewater treatment, offer significant promise by enabling processes that are both effective and eco-friendly. This Special Issue aims to highlight groundbreaking research in this area, focusing on the advancement of green membrane technologies. The issue will explore topics such as material innovations, energy-efficient processes, hybrid systems, and the integration of renewable energy into membrane-based water treatment.

We seek contributions that demonstrate how advancements in membrane materials and process designs can lead to more sustainable water treatment solutions. In particular, we are interested in submissions that address energy savings, novel material fabrication, and hybrid membrane systems that leverage photothermal or photocatalytic effects for enhanced water purification. The Special Issue aligns with the journal’s focus on sustainable solutions and advanced materials for environmental and water-related challenges, providing a platform for research that seeks to improve the energy and environmental efficiency of water treatment systems.

We invite submissions of original research articles and comprehensive reviews on a wide range of topics, including but not limited to, the following:

  • Development of eco-friendly, biodegradable, and recyclable membrane materials;
  • Innovations in membrane composite materials incorporating nanomaterials or advanced coatings for improved fouling resistance and efficiency;
  • Low-energy desalination processes and novel hybrid processes;
  • Photothermal and photocatalytic membrane technologies that utilize solar energy or catalyze reactions to degrade contaminants and improve water recovery;
  • Hybrid systems that combine membrane processes with renewable energy sources like solar, wind, or geothermal energy for water treatment;
  • Sustainable manufacturing practices for membrane production, with a focus on reducing the carbon footprint, solvent use, and overall environmental impact;
  • Resource recovery and the treatment of industrial wastewater using novel membrane systems designed for challenging effluents;
  • Smart membranes and responsive materials for enhancing process efficiency;
  • Case studies on pilot-scale or real-world applications of green membrane technologies in desalination plants, wastewater treatment facilities, or other relevant industries;
  • Economic and environmental impact analyses of energy-efficient membrane processes, assessing long-term viability and sustainability in water treatment.

I look forward to receiving your contributions.

Best regards,

Dr. Jehad A. Kharraz
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 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

  • green membranes
  • nanoenabled membranes
  • energy-efficient water treatment
  • sustainable desalination
  • photothermal membranes
  • photocatalytic membranes
  • membrane materials
  • wastewater treatment
  • hybrid membrane systems

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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14 pages, 3333 KiB  
Article
Circular Economy Applied to Sludge Minimization: The STAR Project
by Maria Cristina Collivignarelli, Stefano Bellazzi and Alessandro Abbà
Membranes 2025, 15(1), 15; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes15010015 - 9 Jan 2025
Viewed by 735
Abstract
The management of biological sludge from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) poses a significant environmental challenge due to increasing sludge production and the presence of emerging pollutants. This study investigates an innovative solution by integrating a thermophilic aerobic membrane reactor (TAMR) into the sludge [...] Read more.
The management of biological sludge from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) poses a significant environmental challenge due to increasing sludge production and the presence of emerging pollutants. This study investigates an innovative solution by integrating a thermophilic aerobic membrane reactor (TAMR) into the sludge treatment line of a medium-size WWTP, aiming to minimize biological sludge output while enhancing resource recovery. The study involved a six-month monitoring of an industrial-scale TAMR system, assessing the reduction in volatile solids (VSs) in thickened sludge and evaluating the compatibility of TAMR residues with conventional activated sludge (CAS) systems. The TAMR unit, which achieved up to a 90% reduction in VSs, was combined with traditional CAS processes, forming the STAR (Sludge Treatment and Advanced Recycling) configuration. This configuration reduced sludge output to just 10% of conventional levels while enabling the recirculation of nutrient-rich liquid effluents. Both batch and continuous respirometric tests demonstrated the biological treatability of TAMR residues, highlighting their potential reuse as external carbon sources and their positive impact on CAS system performance. The findings suggest that integrating mesophilic and thermophilic systems can significantly improve sludge management efficiency, lowering both operating costs and environmental impacts. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green Membrane Technologies: Advancements in Materials and Energy Efficiency for Water Treatment)
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18 pages, 6971 KiB  
Article
Electro-Conductive Modification of Polyvinylidene Fluoride Membrane for Electrified Wastewater Treatment: Optimization and Antifouling Performance
by Jinzhuo Shi, Yisong Hu, Songhua Li, Wenqian Xiao, Yuan Yang and Jiayuan Ji
Membranes 2025, 15(1), 1; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes15010001 - 24 Dec 2024
Viewed by 973
Abstract
Electro-conductive membranes coupled with a low-voltage electric field can enhance pollutant removal and mitigate membrane fouling, demonstrating significant potential for electrified wastewater treatment. However, efficient fabrication of conductive membranes poses challenges. An in situ oxidative polymerization approach was applied to prepare PVDF-based conductive [...] Read more.
Electro-conductive membranes coupled with a low-voltage electric field can enhance pollutant removal and mitigate membrane fouling, demonstrating significant potential for electrified wastewater treatment. However, efficient fabrication of conductive membranes poses challenges. An in situ oxidative polymerization approach was applied to prepare PVDF-based conductive membranes (PVDF-CMs) and response surface methodology (RSM) was adopted to optimize modification conditions enhancing membrane performance. The anti-fouling property of the conductive membranes was analyzed using model pollutants. The results indicate that when the concentrations of the pyrrole, BVIMBF4, and FeCl3·6H2O are 0.9 mol/L, 4.8 mmol, and 0.8 mol/L, respectively, the electrical resistance of the PVDF-CM is 93 Ω/sq with the water contact angle of 31°, demonstrating good conductivity and hydrophilicity. Batch membrane filtration experiments coupled with negative voltage indicated that when an external voltage of 2.0 V is applied, membrane fouling rates for the conductive membrane filtering BSA and SA solutions are reduced by 17.7% and 17.2%, respectively, compared to the control (0 V). When an external voltage of 0.5 V is applied, the membrane fouling rate for the conductive membrane filtering HA solution is reduced by 72.6%. This study provides a valuable reference for the efficient preparation of conductive membranes for cost-effective wastewater treatment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green Membrane Technologies: Advancements in Materials and Energy Efficiency for Water Treatment)
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Review

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21 pages, 846 KiB  
Review
Membrane Technologies for Sustainable Wastewater Treatment: Advances, Challenges, and Applications in Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) and Minimal Liquid Discharge (MLD) Systems
by Argyris Panagopoulos and Panagiotis Michailidis
Membranes 2025, 15(2), 64; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes15020064 - 19 Feb 2025
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1513
Abstract
As the demand for sustainable water and wastewater management continues to rise in both desalination and industrial sectors, there is been notable progress in developing Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) and Minimal Liquid Discharge (MLD) systems. Membrane technologies have become a key component of [...] Read more.
As the demand for sustainable water and wastewater management continues to rise in both desalination and industrial sectors, there is been notable progress in developing Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) and Minimal Liquid Discharge (MLD) systems. Membrane technologies have become a key component of these systems, providing effective solutions for removing contaminants and enabling the recovery of both water and valuable resources. This article explores recent advancements in the design and operation of ZLD and MLD systems, discussing their benefits, challenges, and how they fit into larger treatment processes. Emphasis is given to membrane-based processes, such as reverse osmosis (RO), membrane distillation (MD), and forward osmosis (FO), as well as hybrid configurations, and innovative membrane materials. These advancements are designed to address critical challenges like fouling, scaling, high energy demands, and high brine production. The article also explores exciting research directions aimed at enhancing the efficiency and durability of membrane technologies in ZLD and MLD systems, paving the way for new innovations in sustainable water management across various industries. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green Membrane Technologies: Advancements in Materials and Energy Efficiency for Water Treatment)
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