Advanced Membrane Materials for Water Treatment
A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Green Chemistry".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 May 2026 | Viewed by 8
Special Issue Editor
Interests: adsorption; membrane separation; molecularly imprinted technology; extraction; polymerization
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Water scarcity and pollution are among the most pressing global challenges of our time. Membrane technology has emerged as a cornerstone for addressing these issues, offering efficient, energy-saving, and scalable solutions for water purification, desalination, and wastewater reuse. However, the performance and sustainability of conventional membranes are often constrained by limitations such as fouling, low permeability–selectivity trade-offs, and chemical instability. The next frontier in this field lies in developing intelligent membranes with responsive functions and transitioning from mere pollutant removal to resource recovery.
This Special Issue, "Advanced Membrane Materials for Water Treatment," aims to showcase the latest breakthroughs and cutting-edge research in the development of novel membrane materials. We seek to compile a collection of high-quality papers that push the boundaries of membrane science and engineering. The focus will be on the rational design, innovative fabrication, and multifaceted applications of advanced membranes to achieve superior separation performance, enhanced antifouling properties, long-term operational stability, and advanced functionalities.
Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:
Novel Material Platforms: Nanocomposite membranes, mixed-matrix membranes (MMMs), covalent organic frameworks (COFs), metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), graphene oxide (GO), carbon nanotubes (CNTs), and biomimetic membranes.
Smart and Stimuli-Responsive Membranes: Materials that respond to pH, temperature, light, ions, or molecules for self-cleaning, adaptive separation, and controlled release.
Advanced Fabrication Techniques: Electrospinning, interfacial polymerization, layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly, and 3D printing for precise structural control.
Functionalization and Surface Engineering: Strategies for improving hydrophilicity, introducing antibacterial properties, and creating fouling-release surfaces.
Resource Recovery and Selective Separation: Membranes designed for the recovery of valuable resources such as nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), precious metals, lithium, and energy from brines and wastewater streams.
Performance Enhancement: Studies focused on overcoming the permeability-selectivity upper bound and achieving high rejection of emerging contaminants (e.g., pharmaceuticals, PFAS).
Fouling Control and Mitigation: Development of anti-fouling and self-cleaning membranes, and investigation of fouling mechanisms.
Sustainability and Life-Cycle Assessment: Research on the environmental impact of membrane production, the use of green solvents, and membrane recyclability.
We invite the submission of original research articles, comprehensive reviews, and short communications that contribute to the advancement of this dynamic field.
Dr. Minjia Meng
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. 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
- advanced membranes
- water treatment
- membrane materials
- nanocomposites
- desalination
- wastewater reuse
- antifouling
- mixed-matrix membranes (MMMs)
- emerging contaminants
- membrane fabrication
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