Geopolymers and Composite Geopolymeric Materials for Environmental Pollution

Dear Colleagues,

Focus:
Across the globe, industrialization and urbanization have greatly increased environmental pollution; hence, the need for sustainable and efficient materials that can combat pollutants is greater than ever. In this Special Issue, geopolymers and composite geopolymeric materials have been explored for the adsorption of pollutants from environmental media as one of their greatest applications. This Special Issue aims to identify new directions and revise the existing technologies for more effective pollution control based on alkali-activated materials and their derivatives.

Scope:
This Special Issue will investigate the use of geopolymer-based materials for air and water pollution control, covering the development of a new class of alkali-activated materials, studies on their adsorption properties, and their optimization for real-world applications. It also seeks to attract comparative studies and environmental impact assessments (LCAs) of other adsorbents while suggesting innovative strategies for the regeneration and reuse of such materials. The scope goes beyond traditional boundaries and encompasses interdisciplinary research areas that intersect material science, environmental engineering, and sustainability studies, offering a holistic assessment of the role played by geopolymers in mitigating pollution.

Topics covered include (but are not limited to) the following:

• Development and characterization of geopolymer and alkali-activated materials.
• Adsorption mechanisms and pollutant removal efficiency of geopolymer-based adsorbents.
• Application of geopolymers in air and water purification systems.
• Surface modification and functionalization of geopolymer materials for enhanced performance.
• Regeneration, reuse, and lifecycle analysis (LCA) of geopolymer adsorbents.
• Comparative studies of geopolymers versus conventional adsorbents (e.g., activated carbon or zeolites).
• Industrial-scale implementation and process optimization of geopolymer-based pollution control systems.
• Environmental, economic, and sustainability assessments of geopolymer technologies.
• Novel analytical methods and modeling approaches for geopolymer performance evaluation.
• Integration of geopolymer materials in circular economy and waste valorization strategies.

Purpose:
In recent years, several studies have been conducted on various aspects related to the field of environmental pollution control. One of the objectives is to inform the public about new findings concerning geopolymers' adsorption. Another aim is to identify potential uses of geopolymer-based materials in different environmental contexts to contribute to the achievement of the sustainable development goals. High-quality papers will also help readers understand better ways for society to adopt sustainable approaches aimed at reducing pollution.

Dr. Alessio Occhicone
Dr. Assunta Campanile
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. Sustainability 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.

• geopolymers
• alkali-activated materials
• geopolymer-based composites
• adsorption
• environmental pollution
• sustainable materials
• water treatment
• air purification
• soil remediation
• hybrid adsorbents
• multi-adsorbent process