Recovery of Precious Metals and Metal Nanoparticles from Electronic and Industrial Waste
A special issue of Separations (ISSN 2297-8739). This special issue belongs to the section "Purification Technology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 10 December 2025 | Viewed by 35
Special Issue Editors
Interests: sample preparation; extraction and microextraction; HPLC; nanomaterials for separation processes; environmental analysis; environmental remediation; sorbent-based remediation; separation/extraction of nanomaterials
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
2. Institute of Materials Science and Computing, University Research Center of Ioannina, 45110 Ioannina, Greece
Interests: crystal structure; metal organic framework; materials; single crystal X-ray diffraction; material characterization; structure determination; inorganic materials; hydrothermal synthesis; solid state synthesis; coordination chemistry
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
In the modern technological era, electronic and electric equipment (EEE) is an integral part of human civilization and everyday life. Such equipment relies on electronic devices (such as printed circuit boards, integrated circuits, etc.) that contain precious metals due to their superior electrical conductivity and physicochemical stability over a wide range of operating conditions. However, the growing demand for these metals, in combination with their non-renewable sources, is gradually leading to resource depletion. Using gold as an example, the World Gold Council estimates that over 120 kilotons of gold have been extracted since 1950, while only around 55 kilotons remain in known reserves. Additionally, the short lifespan of many types of EEE (typically a few years) increases the demand for new materials. However, the disposal of EEE presents a new opportunity, since electronic waste containing precious metals can serve as a valuable source for their uptake and recovery.
In this regard, this Special Issue aims to gather research and review articles addressing the increasing demand for the recovery of precious metals from e-waste. Contributions exploring both advanced and traditional separation methods are welcome, particularly those addressing challenges associated with the selective recovery of precious metals. Submissions on the simultaneous or selective recovery of metal nanoparticles from e-waste are also highly encouraged.
Dr. Dimosthenis Giokas
Prof. Dr. Manolis Manos
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 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. Separations is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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 2600 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
- e-waste recycling
- precious metal recovery
- metal nanoparticle extraction
- advanced separation techniques
- circular economy in electronics
- selective uptake of precious metals and metal nanoparticles
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
- Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
- Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
- Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
- External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
- e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.
Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.
