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Minerals
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Clay Minerals for Environmental Remediation and Sustainable Energy
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Clay Minerals for Environmental Remediation and Sustainable Energy

A special issue of Minerals (ISSN 2075-163X). This special issue belongs to the section "Clays and Engineered Mineral Materials".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2026 | Viewed by 1567

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Ke Wang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Materials Science and Technology, China University of Geosciences, Beijing 100083, China
Interests: mineral materials; secondary batteries; crystal structure
Dr. Sijia Sun

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Materials Science and Technology, China University of Geosciences, Beijing 100083, China
Interests: environmental mineral materials; surface processes in mineral systems; treatment of emerging contaminants
Dr. Meng Liu

E-Mail
Guest Editor
School of Materials Science and Technology, China University of Geosciences, Beijing 100083, China
Interests: structure and surface/interfacial properties of clay minerals; photo-/electro-catalysis and energy conversion

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The development of advanced nanomaterials addressing critical challenges in environmental remediation and sustainable energy is a vital research frontier. Clay minerals offer exceptional promise in adsorption, photocatalysis, and energy technologies, owing to their remarkable ion exchange capacity, high surface area, strong sorption affinity, and chemically reactive surfaces. Specifically, their interactions with diverse chemical species enable the efficient removal of pollutants such as heavy metals, dyes, pharmaceuticals, and pesticides. Beyond environmental remediation, these intrinsic properties also make clay minerals attractive for applications in energy conversion and storage devices, including photovoltaic power, hydrogen generation, secondary batteries and supercapacitors.

This Minerals Special Issue, entitled “Clay Minerals for Environmental remediation and Sustainable Energy”, seeks contributions (full papers, reviews, and short communications) that explore these themes. We invite submissions detailing recent advances in clay-based materials science, including but not limited to the following:

  • Innovative clay-derived nanocomposites and hybrid materials;
  • Development and application of clay-based systems for environmental remediation;
  • Clay-based systems for renewable energy conversion and storage.

We look forward to your valuable contributions.

Dr. Ke Wang
Dr. Sijia Sun
Dr. Meng Liu
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-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Minerals 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 2400 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.

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

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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17 pages, 5259 KB  
Article
Harnessing the Dual-Charge Characteristics of Halloysite Nanotubes for High-Performance Composite Polymer Electrolytes in Lithium-Ion Batteries
by Yunxiang Li, Xuehui Li, Ke Wang, Peilin Chen, Xiaowei Li, Guocheng Lv and Libing Liao
Minerals 2026, 16(3), 307; https://doi.org/10.3390/min16030307 - 14 Mar 2026
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Abstract
Naturally occurring halloysite nanotubes (HNTs), a clay mineral characterized by a unique dual-charge architecture, offer a promising strategy for enhancing the performance of composite polymer electrolyte (CPE). In this work, HNTs are introduced as a low-cost, functional filler to simultaneously address two key [...] Read more.
Naturally occurring halloysite nanotubes (HNTs), a clay mineral characterized by a unique dual-charge architecture, offer a promising strategy for enhancing the performance of composite polymer electrolyte (CPE). In this work, HNTs are introduced as a low-cost, functional filler to simultaneously address two key limitations of poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) (PVDF-HFP)-based CPE: low ionic conductivity and inadequate lithium-ion transference number. The negatively charged outer surface of HNTs facilitates Li+ transport, while the positively charged inner lumen confines anions such as TFSI−. Controlled acid etching (6 M HCl, 12 h) further optimizes this structure by removing surface impurities and enlarging the lumen, thereby enhancing both charge-directed ion transport pathways. The resulting HNT-modified CPE achieves a high ionic conductivity of 6.1 × 10−4 S⋅cm−1 and a Li+ transference number of 0.73. When assembled into Li||CPE||LiFePO4 cells, the electrolyte enables stable cycling over 300 cycles at 0.2C, retains 119.2 mAh/g at 2C, and delivers 85.7 mAh/g even at 5C, demonstrating excellent cycling stability and rate capability. This study reveals the potential of mineral-derived nanomaterials, with their inherent structural and physicochemical properties, to serve as key functional components in high-performance batteries. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Clay Minerals for Environmental Remediation and Sustainable Energy)
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Review

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31 pages, 4961 KB  
Review
Progress in the Modification and Utilization of Coal Gangue
by Xingyu Lu, Lijuan Wang, Yuhan Tang, Yi Zhou, Guocheng Lv and Libing Liao
Minerals 2026, 16(3), 329; https://doi.org/10.3390/min16030329 - 20 Mar 2026
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Abstract
Coal gangue, the primary solid by-product of coal mining, presents severe environmental challenges due to massive accumulation. At the same time, it represents potential as a secondary resource if properly utilized. This review systematically summarizes the mineralogical characteristics, modification strategies, and utilization pathways [...] Read more.
Coal gangue, the primary solid by-product of coal mining, presents severe environmental challenges due to massive accumulation. At the same time, it represents potential as a secondary resource if properly utilized. This review systematically summarizes the mineralogical characteristics, modification strategies, and utilization pathways of coal gangue. Current treatment methods, including thermal, chemical, and microbial activation, are discussed, highlighting their respective efficiencies, economic feasibility, and environmental impacts. Furthermore, this review emphasizes the transition of coal gangue from low-value disposal to high-value utilization. Representative applications are summarized, including its use as a precursor for advanced construction materials, as a functional material for environmental remediation, and as a feedstock for energy recovery. Finally, the major technological challenges and research gaps are identified. Future development should focus on intelligent sorting technologies, low-carbon activation processes, and synergistic multi-waste integration. These directions are expected to promote the transformation of coal gangue from an environmental liability into a valuable resource for the circular economy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Clay Minerals for Environmental Remediation and Sustainable Energy)
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