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Molecules
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Functional Nanomaterials and Their Applications in the Environment Remediation
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Functional Nanomaterials and Their Applications in the Environment Remediation

A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Materials Chemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 September 2025) | Viewed by 3774

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Xianhua Liu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Center for Marine Environmental Ecology, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
Interests: novel energy and environmental science; advanced pollutants treatment techniques; environmental monitoring and assessment; bio-electrochemical systems; nanonaterials and their environmental applications
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Muhammad Irfan

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor Assistant
School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, China
Interests: functional materials for environmental and energy application

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Environmental pollution poses a significant threat to global health and ecosystems. The quest for innovative and effective solutions has led to the exploration of functional nanomaterials as a promising avenue for environmental remediation. This Special Issue aims to showcase cutting-edge research and developments in the field of nanotechnology that address the challenges of decontaminating air, water, and soil. Functional nanomaterials, due to their unique properties such as high surface area, reactivity, and modifiable surface chemistry, offer unparalleled opportunities for the detection, adsorption, and degradation of various pollutants. This issue will cover a range of topics, including but not limited to the following:

  • Synthesis and functionalization of nanomaterials for enhanced remediation capabilities;
  • Mechanisms of pollutant interaction and removal by nanomaterials;
  • Advances in nanomaterials for the remediation of heavy metals, organic pollutants, and biological contaminants;
  • The role of nanomaterials in monitoring environmental pollution.

Through original research articles, reviews, and case studies, this Special Issue seeks to provide a comprehensive overview of the current state and prospects of nanomaterials in environmental remediation. We invite contributions that discuss the synthesis, characterization, and application of various nanomaterials, including carbon-based, metallic, metal-oxide, and polymeric nanocomposites. Submissions that address the sustainability and potential ecological impacts of nanomaterials are also encouraged

Prof. Dr. Xianhua Liu
Guest Editor

Dr. Muhammad Irfan
Guest Editor Assistant

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. Molecules is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly 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 2700 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

  • nanoremediation
  • environmental cleanup
  • pollutant removal
  • sustainable nanomaterials
  • heavy metal remediation
  • organic pollutant degradation
  • nano-ecotoxicology

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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

24 pages, 7995 KB  
Article
Study on Degradation of Sulfamethoxazole in Water by Activated Persulfate of Molybdenite Supported on Biochar
by Xuemei Li, Jian Wang, Xinglin Chen, Shengnan Li and Hai Lu
Molecules 2026, 31(2), 211; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules31020211 - 7 Jan 2026
Viewed by 587
Abstract
In this study, the advanced oxidation system of peroxymonosulfate (PMS) was activated by molybdenite supported on biochar (Molybdenite@BC), and the degradation efficiency, influencing factors and degradation mechanism of sulfamethoxazole (SMX) were explored through experiments. Molybdenite@BC, a composite material used in the study, was [...] Read more.
In this study, the advanced oxidation system of peroxymonosulfate (PMS) was activated by molybdenite supported on biochar (Molybdenite@BC), and the degradation efficiency, influencing factors and degradation mechanism of sulfamethoxazole (SMX) were explored through experiments. Molybdenite@BC, a composite material used in the study, was prepared by pyrolysis at high temperature. The optimum pyrolysis temperature was 700 °C, and the mass ratio of molybdenite to biochar (BC) was 1:3. By changing dosage of Molybdenite@BC, pH value, initial concentration of PMS, and the types and concentration of inorganic anions, the effects of various factors on SMX degradation were systematically studied. The optimum reaction conditions of the Molybdenite@BC/PMS process were as follows: Molybdenite@BC dosage was 100 mg/L, PMS concentration was 0.2 mM, pH value was 6.9 ± 0.2, and initial SMX concentration was 6 mg/L. Under these conditions, the degradation rate of SMX was 97.87% after 60 min and 99.06% after 120 min. The material characterization analysis showed that Molybdenite@BC had a porous structure and rich active sites, which was beneficial to the degradation of pollutants. After the composite material was used, the peaks of MoO2 and MoS2 became weaker, which indicated that there was some loss of molybdenum from the material structure. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and radical quenching experiments revealed that Molybdenite@BC effectively catalyzed PMS to generate various reactive oxygen radicals and non-free radicals, including singlet oxygen (1O2), hydroxyl radical (•OH), sulfate radical (SO4•−) and superoxide radical (•O2−). 1O2 played a leading role in the degradation of SMX, while •OH and SO4•− had little influence. The intermediate products of the degradation of SMX in Molybdenite@BC/PMS system were analyzed by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS). The results showed that there were nine main intermediate products in the process of degradation, and the overall toxicity tended to decrease during the degradation of SMX. The degradation path analysis showed that with the gradual ring opening and bond breaking of SMX, small molecular compounds were generated, which were finally mineralized into H2O, CO2, CO32−, H2SO4 and other substances. The research results confirmed that the Molybdenite@BC/PMS process provided a feasible new method for the degradation of SMX in water. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Nanomaterials and Their Applications in the Environment Remediation)
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22 pages, 4757 KB  
Article
Feasibility Analysis of Tetracycline Degradation in Water by O3/PMS/FeMoBC Process
by Xuemei Li, Qingpo Li, Jian Wang, Zheng Wu, Shengnan Li and Hai Lu
Molecules 2025, 30(24), 4810; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules30244810 - 17 Dec 2025
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 627
Abstract
In this study, the feasibility of tetracycline (TC) degradation in water using Fe–Mo co–supported biochar (FeMoBC) as catalyst combined with ozone and peroxymonosulfate (O3/PMS) system is discussed. The experiment showed that the mineralization rate of TC by O3/PMS/FeMoBC process [...] Read more.
In this study, the feasibility of tetracycline (TC) degradation in water using Fe–Mo co–supported biochar (FeMoBC) as catalyst combined with ozone and peroxymonosulfate (O3/PMS) system is discussed. The experiment showed that the mineralization rate of TC by O3/PMS/FeMoBC process reached 60.1% within 60 min, which was significantly higher than the treatment effect of O3 or O3/PMS system alone. Meanwhile, this process showed higher degradation efficiency under the background of raw water, and the loss of FeMoBC cycle attenuation performance was small. Twelve intermediates in the degradation of TC were identified by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC–MS/MS), and the possible degradation paths were inferred by quantum chemical calculation. In addition, the toxicity of intermediate products was evaluated by ecological structure–activity relationships (ECOSAR) and toxicity estimation software tool (T.E.S.T.) software, and the results showed that with the degradation of TC, its toxicity showed a downward trend as a whole. Therefore, this study confirmed that O3/PMS/FeMoBC had high efficiency in degrading TC in actual water, which provided a new idea for the treatment of high concentration organic wastewater. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Nanomaterials and Their Applications in the Environment Remediation)
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12 pages, 4878 KB  
Article
Development of a Fast and Efficient Strategy Based on Nanomagnetic Materials to Remove Polystyrene Spheres from the Aquatic Environment
by Yésica Vicente-Martínez, Irene Soler-García, Manuel Hernández-Córdoba, Ignacio López-García and Rosa Penalver
Molecules 2024, 29(19), 4565; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29194565 - 25 Sep 2024
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1742
Abstract
Microplastics contamination is growing globally, being a risk for different environmental compartments including animals and humans. At present, some Spanish beaches and coasts have been affected by discharges of these pollutants, which have caused a serious environmental problem. Therefore, efficient strategies to remove [...] Read more.
Microplastics contamination is growing globally, being a risk for different environmental compartments including animals and humans. At present, some Spanish beaches and coasts have been affected by discharges of these pollutants, which have caused a serious environmental problem. Therefore, efficient strategies to remove microplastics (MPs) from environmental samples are needed. In this study, the application of three magnetic materials, namely iron oxide (Fe3O4) and the composites Fe3O4@Ag and Fe3O4@Ag@L-Cysteine, to remove MPs, specifically polystyrene (PS), from water samples has been assessed. The magnetic nanoparticles were synthesized and characterized by field effect scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy detection (FESEM-EDX). Experimental conditions such as temperature, time, and pH during the removal process were assessed for the different adsorbent materials. The removal rate was calculated by filtering the treated water samples and counting the remaining MPs in the water using ImageJ software. The strongest removal efficiency (100%) was shown using Fe3O4@Ag@L-Cysteine for PS at 50 mg L−1 within 15 min of the separation process at room temperature and a neutral pH. A thermodynamic study demonstrated that the developed MPs elimination strategy was a spontaneous and physisorption process. Coated Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles were demonstrated to be an efficient adsorbent for MP removal in aquatic environments and their use a promising technique for the control of MPs contamination. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Nanomaterials and Their Applications in the Environment Remediation)
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