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Polymer Materials for Ecological and Environmental Applications

A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Polymer Applications".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2026 | Viewed by 1846

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
College of Light Industry and Food Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210027, China
Interests: polymer materials; green synthesis; structure control; optimization strategy; capacitive deionization; environmental applications

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The rapid development of industrialization and urbanization has led to the widespread discharge of toxic pollutants—including heavy metals, nitrates, pharmaceuticals, dyes, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs)—into the environment, posing severe risks to ecosystems and human health. Addressing these challenges requires advanced pollutant removal technologies, the core of which lies in innovative material design. Polymer materials have emerged as a promising solution due to their exceptional properties, such as tunable surface area, adjustable pore-size distribution, high functionality, and excellent stability and biocompatibility. Furthermore, polymers can serve as micro- or macro-scale scaffolds, enabling precise control over the morphology, structure, and active sites of their composites.

To date, polymer-based materials have demonstrated significant potential in various ecological and environmental applications, including electrochemical sensing, adsorption, capacitive deionization, electro-Fenton processes, and advanced oxidation. This Special Issue aims to explore the controllable synthesis and optimization strategies of these materials, covering key aspects such as synthesis methods, chemical properties, and performance enhancement techniques. Additionally, systematic economic analyses and recycling strategies for polymer materials are of particular interest.

We invite submissions of original research articles that feature experimental data, as well as comprehensive review papers that highlight recent advancements and emerging trends in polymer materials for environmental applications. Contributions should focus on innovative approaches that advance sustainable solutions for pollution mitigation and resource recovery.

Dr. Mingxing Shi
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 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. Polymers 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

  • polymers
  • composites
  • scaffolds
  • optimization strategies
  • capacitive deionization
  • adsorption and separation
  • environmental applications

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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18 pages, 2344 KB  
Article
Amino–MIL-101(Fe)/Chitosan–Graphene Oxide Cross-Linked Nanocomposite for High-Performance Adsorptive Remediation of Wastewater Microplastics from Environmental Samples
by Amr A. Yakout, Ahmed S. Badr El-din, Amani Al Solami and Abeer H. Aljadaani
Polymers 2026, 18(7), 878; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym18070878 - 2 Apr 2026
Viewed by 359
Abstract
One of the main sources of microplastic pollution in aquatic ecosystems is municipal wastewater, and preserving the ecological security of water depends on its effective removal. In this study, a potential multi-functionalized nanocomposite (NH2-MIL-101(Fe)/CS/GO), which consists of an iron-based metal–organic framework [...] Read more.
One of the main sources of microplastic pollution in aquatic ecosystems is municipal wastewater, and preserving the ecological security of water depends on its effective removal. In this study, a potential multi-functionalized nanocomposite (NH2-MIL-101(Fe)/CS/GO), which consists of an iron-based metal–organic framework (NH2-MIL-101(Fe)) integrated with chitosan (CS) as a biopolymer matrix and graphene oxide (GO) as a conductive support, was exploited to enhance microplastic removal via different adsorptive hydrophilic/hydrophobic interactions. According to adsorption tests, the removal efficiencies of NH2-MIL-101(Fe)/CS/GO for polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polystyrene (PS) microplastics (25–30 μm) were 93.8% and 89.7%, respectively, at pH 6.2 and for 40 min of contact time. Adsorption isotherms were well fitted to both the Langmuir and the Freundlich models, and the maximum adsorption capacities of PET and PS were 321.4 and 255.1 mg·g−1, respectively. The removal efficiency reached 92.5% after six cycles. The proposed MOF-based CS/GO nanocomposite provides an efficient and durable method of controlling microplastic contamination in urban wastewater. The developed multi-functionalized nanocomposite offers excellent electrostatic and hydrophobic synergy through a large surface area and π–π interactions for GO, positively charged CS, and a very high surface area with tunable porosity for the amino–MIL-101 (Fe) moiety. The proposed MOF-based nanocomposite provides an effective and persistent method of reducing microplastic contamination in constructed wetlands and water/wastewater treatment plants. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer Materials for Ecological and Environmental Applications)
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Review

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28 pages, 580 KB  
Review
Recent Design Principles and Construction Strategies of Polyaniline-Based Composites: Toward Electrochemical and Non-Electrochemical Adsorption Applications
by Quanfeng Liang, Xu Wu, Yanghao Yan, Shaomin Kang, Jingjing Liu, Mingxing Shi and Guolin Tong
Polymers 2025, 17(23), 3151; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym17233151 - 27 Nov 2025
Viewed by 1156
Abstract
Presently, with rapid industrialization progressing, massive toxic pollutants have been discharged into nature, causing serious threats to ecosystems and human health. Thus, exploiting advanced functional materials for mitigating environmental challenges is vital. Among them, polyaniline (PANI)-based composites have gained great research attention because [...] Read more.
Presently, with rapid industrialization progressing, massive toxic pollutants have been discharged into nature, causing serious threats to ecosystems and human health. Thus, exploiting advanced functional materials for mitigating environmental challenges is vital. Among them, polyaniline (PANI)-based composites have gained great research attention because of their excellent mass–charge transfer ability, tunable morphology, rich N-containing functional groups, and high structural tunability. Herein, this review systematically summarizes the design principles, composite construction strategies, and adsorption applications of PANI-based composites. Key design principles, including micro-support skeleton construction, conductive skeleton introduction, and selective active site anchoring, are proposed. These principles aim to address defects of single components and realize the improvement of the properties, selectivity, and stability of PANI-based composites. Subsequently, multiple advanced PANI-based composites are further analyzed. Eventually, their applications in electrochemical (e.g., electrosorption) and non-electrochemical adsorption (e.g., typical adsorption) are comprehensively assessed. Overall, this review seeks to deliver valuable insights into the in-depth study of advanced PANI-based composites for effective pollutant remediation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer Materials for Ecological and Environmental Applications)
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