Engineered Nanomaterials and Natural Nanominerals for Catalytic Degradation of Emerging Pollutants: Mechanisms and Applications
A special issue of Nanomaterials (ISSN 2079-4991). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Nanoscience and Nanotechnology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 22 January 2026 | Viewed by 19
Special Issue Editor
Interests: advanced oxidation processes; emerging contaminants; reactive oxygen species; nanominerals; ecomaterials
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The proliferation of emerging pollutants—such as pharmaceuticals, microplastics, and persistent organic contaminants—in aquatic, terrestrial, and atmospheric systems poses escalating risks to ecosystems and human health. Conventional degradation methods often struggle to address these complex contaminants due to their recalcitrance and diverse chemical structures. Recent advances in engineered nanomaterials (e.g., metal oxides, carbon-based composites) and naturally occurring nanominerals (e.g., clay minerals, iron oxides) have opened new frontiers in catalytic degradation technologies. These materials exhibit unique physicochemical properties, including high surface reactivity, tunable electronic structures, and sustainable scalability, making them promising candidates for advanced catalytic processes.
This Special Issue of Nanomaterials, entitled "Engineered Nanomaterials and Natural Nanominerals for Catalytic Degradation of Emerging Pollutants: Mechanisms and Applications", invites original research and review articles that explore the synthesis, characterization, and application of nanoscale catalysts in pollutant remediation. We encourage submissions addressing innovative strategies in photocatalysis, hydrolysis, Fenton-like reactions, and chemical oxidation systems, with an emphasis on mechanistic insights, material design, and environmental compatibility.
This Special Issue will prioritize studies that bridge fundamental science and practical implementation. Putative topics include, but are not limited to, the following areas:
- Material innovation: the design of nano-engineered catalysts and functionalized natural nanominerals.
- Mechanistic studies: radical/non-radical pathways, surface–interface interactions, and computational modeling of catalytic processes.
- Hybrid systems: the synergistic integration of photocatalysis with Fenton-like reactions, electrochemical activation, or persulfate-based oxidation.
- Environmental applications: the scalable degradation of antibiotics, PFAS, microplastics, and endocrine disruptors in water, soil, or air.
We welcome contributions that advance the scientific understanding and technological translation of nanomaterial-driven catalytic solutions. Your research will help to shape the future of sustainable environmental remediation.
Dr. Lingshuai Kong
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. Nanomaterials 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 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.
Keywords
- engineered nanomaterials
- nanominerals
- degradation
- hydrolysis
- redox
- emerging pollutants
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