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Data-Driven Optimization of Advanced Oxidation Processes for Water Harvesting Applications

A special issue of Water (ISSN 2073-4441). This special issue belongs to the section "Water Quality and Contamination".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 October 2026 | Viewed by 193

Editor


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Guest Editor
Center for Water Cycle Research, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea
Interests: advanced oxidation process; nanomaterials for environment remediation; disinfection byproduct formation; analysis of micropollutants; electrochemistry
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The widespread release of persistent micropollutants (MPs), including per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), has become a growing concern due to rapid industrialization and population growth. Among the emerging treatment strategies, persulfate-based advanced oxidation processes (PS-AOPs) have attracted increasing interest due to their strong oxidative capacity and environmental compatibility.

We are pleased to announce the upcoming Special Issue titled "Data-Driven Optimization of Advanced Oxidation Processes for Water Harvesting Applications" to be published in Water. This Special Issue aims to highlight recent developments in the degradation of MPs through PS-AOPs, focusing on novel activation methods, sustainable catalyst design and mechanistic insights. Both original research articles and comprehensive reviews are welcome.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

- Advances in persulfate activation techniques

- Comparative studies of peroxydisulfate vs. peroxymonosulfate activation

- Light-driven and electrochemical strategies for persulfate activation

- Catalytic membranes for persulfate-based AOPs

- Applications of biochar and engineered materials in persulfate activation

- Kinetic modeling, reaction mechanisms and byproduct formation during PS-AOPs

- PS-mediated degradation and removal of PFAS

We invite you to contribute to this Special Issue with high-quality submissions that address these and related topics.

Dr. Mingizem Gashaw Seid
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-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Water 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 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

  • persulfate
  • radical oxidation
  • heterogeneous activation
  • persistent micropollutants
  • catalyst design
  • advanced oxidation processes
  • polyfluoroalkyl substances

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Review

31 pages, 1206 KB  
Review
Recent Advances in Magnetic Polymer Nanocomposites for Water Purification Applications
by Sonia Azzaza, Amel Delimi, Hana Ferkous, Kamilia Madi, Amdjed Abdennouri, Mohammed Zighed, Khadidja Otmane Rachedi, Mohammed Rabeh Makhlouf, Imane Ghouafria, Hichem Tahraoui and Abdeltif Amrane
Water 2026, 18(15), 1874; https://doi.org/10.3390/w18151874 (registering DOI) - 1 Aug 2026
Abstract
Magnetic polymer nanocomposites (MPNCs) have attracted considerable attention as advanced multifunctional materials for water purification due to their high adsorption capacity, magnetic recoverability, and excellent reusability. This review presents a comprehensive overview of recent developments in the synthesis, characterization, and environmental applications of [...] Read more.
Magnetic polymer nanocomposites (MPNCs) have attracted considerable attention as advanced multifunctional materials for water purification due to their high adsorption capacity, magnetic recoverability, and excellent reusability. This review presents a comprehensive overview of recent developments in the synthesis, characterization, and environmental applications of MPNCs for wastewater treatment. Particular emphasis is placed on the principal synthesis strategies, including in situ and ex situ approaches, and their influence on nanoparticle dispersion, interfacial interactions, and the physicochemical properties of the resulting nanocomposites. The review covers the most widely investigated magnetic nanomaterials, such as Fe3O4, γ-Fe2O3, CoFe2O4, ZnFe2O4, and other ferrites, incorporated into natural and synthetic polymer matrices including chitosan, cellulose, alginate, polyaniline, polypyrrole, poly(vinyl alcohol), and polystyrene. Advanced characterization techniques, including X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning and transmission electron microscopy (SEM/TEM), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM), and superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) measurements, are discussed to evaluate the structural, chemical, thermal, and magnetic properties of these hybrid materials. The adsorption performance and underlying mechanisms of MPNCs for the removal of heavy metals, dyes, pharmaceutical compounds, organic pollutants, and oil contaminants are critically analyzed, highlighting the roles of polymer functionalization, nanocomposite architecture, and magnetic separation in enhancing treatment efficiency and reusability. In addition, the contribution of density functional theory (DFT) to understanding adsorption mechanisms and guiding the rational design of high-performance adsorbents is reviewed. Finally, current challenges and future perspectives, including green synthesis, multifunctional and stimuli-responsive materials, scalable manufacturing, and industrial implementation, are discussed. This review provides a comprehensive framework for the design and development of next-generation magnetic polymer nanocomposites for sustainable water remediation applications. Full article
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