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Recent Advances in Emerging Polymeric Technologies for Hazardous Compounds

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 April 2026 | Viewed by 1051

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Polymers Department-The National Research & Development Institute for Chemistry and Petrochemistry-ICECHIM, 060021 Bucharest, Romania
Interests: polymers; molecularly imprinted polymers; polymeric micro/nanoparticles and films; (bio)sensors for drugs; explosives; pollutants; biological and chemical agents; nanomaterials
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Faculty of Medical Engineering, Advanced Polymer Materials Group, eBio-Hub Research Centre, National University of Science and Technology Politehnica Bucharest, 011061 Bucharest, Romania
Interests: materials science; bioengineering; nanotechnology; tissue regeneration
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Guest Editor
Military Technical Academy “Ferdinand I”, 39-49 George Cosbuc Boulevard, 050141 Bucharest, Romania
Interests: polymers; nanomaterials; CBRN defence; toxics; decontamination; hazardous materials; thin films; hydrogels; environmental safety; polyurea; ballistic protection; explosives; energetic materials; nanocomposites; electrochemistry
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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Guest Editor
Military Technical Academy “Ferdinand I”, 39–49 George Coșbuc Boulevard, 050141 Bucharest, Romania
Interests: polymers; explosives; propellants

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Guest Editor
National Institute for Research & Development in Chemistry and Petrochemistry ICECHIM, 060021 Bucharest, Romania
Interests: composite materials; hybrid structures; advanced water treatment processes
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

It is our great pleasure to invite you to submit a manuscript to this upcoming Special Issue of Polymers entitled “Recent Advances in Emerging Polymeric Technologies for Hazardous Compounds” (IF: 4.7, ISSN 2073-4360). This Special Issue will focus on innovations in the synthesis, characterization and application of molecularly imprinted polymers and alternative smart polymeric platforms that aim to sense (identification, detection) or decontaminate (removal and/or neutralization) hazardous compounds (e.g., drugs, explosives and pollutants and biological or chemical agents).

Versatile, advanced polymeric materials that possess unique functions in response to external factors have become widespread. Smart polymers, or “stimuli-responsive” polymers, can react to a wide range of stimuli (changes in pH, ion content, temperature, solvent, radiation and biological or chemical agents), and their response can include a variety of changes in structural, chemical, mechanical, optical or electrical properties.

In recent years, there have been major advances in the development of MIPs, which have become the most available and well-known artificial recognition sites, with similarities to antibodies. Due to their unique properties (highly selective recognition properties, reusability, long-term stability and low production cost), various types of MIPs (particles, films) can be used in a wide range of applications, including sensing/diagnostic devices for different hazardous chemicals, biochemicals and pharmaceuticals, and in applications related to environmental safety and decontamination.

The hazards associated with dangerous pollutants/contaminants necessitate the development of specialized handling techniques and risk control strategies. The following specific actions are essential when encountering threats posed by hazardous materials: detection, identification, neutralization, and the removal and disposal of the contaminants. In this context, due to their capacity to be designed for specific types of contaminants, smart polymers offer a plethora of alternatives and solutions for addressing the challenges associated with hazardous compounds.

Original research articles, communications, and reviews are all welcome.

Dr. Ana-Mihaela Gavrila
Dr. Mariana Ionita
Dr. Gabriela Toader
Prof. Dr. Traian Rotariu
Dr. Verona Iordache
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. 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
  • molecularly imprinted polymers
  • smart materials
  • polymeric platforms
  • decontamination
  • hazardous compounds
  • (bio)sensors for drugs/explosives/dyes/pollutants/biological and chemical agents
  • detection
  • hydrogels

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

21 pages, 4532 KB  
Article
Heavy Metals Ions Removal from Local Tarnita Aquatic Streams by Reusable Zwitterionic Acrylic Ion Exchange Resins
by Marcela Mihai, Alina-Petronela Moraru, Ramona Ciobanu, Florin Bucatariu and Marius-Mihai Zaharia
Polymers 2025, 17(23), 3173; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym17233173 - 28 Nov 2025
Viewed by 268
Abstract
This study represents comprehensive research that arises from the advanced sorption properties of zwitterionic resin beads, which were tested on simulated mono- and multicomponent heavy metal ion (HMI)-polluted water, compared to the stream collected in the Tarnita mine area. Ionic exchange resins (IExRs) [...] Read more.
This study represents comprehensive research that arises from the advanced sorption properties of zwitterionic resin beads, which were tested on simulated mono- and multicomponent heavy metal ion (HMI)-polluted water, compared to the stream collected in the Tarnita mine area. Ionic exchange resins (IExRs) were first synthesized in cationic form from a highly crosslinked (8%) acrylic copolymer, by introducing different side groups containing amino functionalities, such as ethylenediamine, triethylenetetramine, and hydrazine hydrate. The corresponding zwitterionic form of each IExR was obtained by reacting the cationic resins with sodium chloroacetate. The structures and morphologies of the synthesized resins were characterized using scanning electron microscopy and infrared spectroscopy. Successful removal of Cu(II), Fe(II), and Mn(II) was quantified by using atomic absorption spectroscopy. Tests with multicomponent synthetic solutions revealed the following typical order of retention: Cu(II) > Fe(II) > Mn(II). In the case of water samples collected from the Tarnita area, the zwitterionic resins were able to retain approximately 93.8% Mn(II), 94.7% Fe(II), and >95.5% Cu(II); in all instances, the concentration of Fe(II) was significantly higher than that of Cu(II) and Mn(II). Additionally, sorption isotherms, kinetics, and thermodynamic parameters were studied. Wheat germination was included to test the efficiency of the batch sorption using IExRs, compared to the stream collected from Tarnita, highlighting how the water cleaning process leads to healthy plant growth. The results demonstrate that, after IExRs sorption the tested HMIs content is below the permissible maximum level for surface water, effectively mitigating the pollution of the steam near to the Tarnita closed mine area, removing the main contaminants found in it. Full article
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28 pages, 7655 KB  
Article
Repurposing of End-of-Life Dialysate Production Polymeric Membrane for Achieving Sustainable Hemodialysis Process Water Management
by Nuhu Dalhat Mu’azu, Aesha H. AlAmri, Ishraq H. Alhamed, Mukarram Zubair, Mohammad Saood Manzar and Muhammad Nawaz
Polymers 2025, 17(21), 2922; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym17212922 - 31 Oct 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 514
Abstract
Polymeric reverse osmosis (RO) membranes are critical for producing ultrapure water for hemodialysis process, but once they reach their end-of-life (EoL) stage, mainly due to fouling, they are usually discarded—adding to the growing challenges of medical waste management. This study explores a sustainable [...] Read more.
Polymeric reverse osmosis (RO) membranes are critical for producing ultrapure water for hemodialysis process, but once they reach their end-of-life (EoL) stage, mainly due to fouling, they are usually discarded—adding to the growing challenges of medical waste management. This study explores a sustainable alternative by rehabilitating EoL thin-film composite (TFC) membrane and its reuse in recovery of spent dialysate. Using different cleaning agents that included citric acid (CA), EDTA, sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), the mixture of CA and SLS (1:1) exhibited the most effective combination for balanced flux recovery, salt rejection, and creatinine clearance at lower TMP, achieving 90% conductivity reduction, 46.89 L/m2/h water flux, and 1.24 L/m2/h/bar permeance. FTIR, SEM, and EDX results confirmed the removal of both organic and inorganic foulants, while further process optimization revealed the critical role of cleaning temperature, SLS ratio and pressure on water permeability and improving creatinine removal. Under the optimal operational conditions, 99.89% creatinine removal, while restoring up to 80% hydraulic performance, yielding water flux and permeance of 59.36 L/m2/h and 1.79 L/m2/h/bar, respectively. These findings suggest that reduced dialysate production costs and minimize environmental impact can be significantly, achieved by extending the useful life of dialysate membranes, thereby opening a pathway toward implementing closed-loop water management and circular economy practices at dialysis centers. Full article
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