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Polymers
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Recent Trends in Polymer Membranes: Fabrication Technique, Characterization, Functionalization, and...
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Recent Trends in Polymer Membranes: Fabrication Technique, Characterization, Functionalization, and Applications in Environmental Science, 2nd Edition

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2024 | Viewed by 2558

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Yan Wang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266071, China
Interests: novel separation techniques; polymer membrane; functional nanomaterials; wastewater treatment; environmental remediation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Gang Wei

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266071, China
Interests: two-dimensional nanomaterials; supramolecular self-assembly; nanomaterials; biomedical engineering; sensors and biosensors
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues, 

More than 90% of the water in the world is comprised of salty water, and only about 2.5% can be used for human consumption. Among this proportion, most water resources are polluted by various industrial dyes, toxic metallic ions, drugs, pesticides, bacteria, and other aromatic organic chemicals. Polymer membranes with 3D networks and nanoporous structures provide a potential way to treat these pollutants in wastewater in order to obtain cleaning drinking water. Traditional polymer membranes have been widely used for water purification, but they are mostly limited by low selectivity, solution fluxes, and fouling issues. In addition, some impurities and biological materials would aggregate on the surface or in the pores of the fabricated membranes, causing very poor selectivity, low water purification ability, reduced resilience, and increased energy consumption. The functionalization of polymer membranes with suitable chemicals, nanoparticles, and 2D graphene-like materials exhibits the possibility to create functional antifouling and antibacterial membrane materials. To promote the application of polymer membranes in environmental science, other relevant issues in membrane fabrication, characterization, physicochemical properties, processability, reliability, sustainability, and other factors must be more deeply understood. 

Therefore, in this Special Issue of Polymers, we would like to collect contributions that focus on (but are not limited to) the design, fabrication, structural and functional regulation, and application of various polymeric membranes in boosting the utilization of membrane materials in environmental science. Submissions in the form of full-length articles, communications, and reviews are invited.

Dr. Yan Wang
Prof. Dr. Gang Wei
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. 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

  • functional polymers
  • fabrication technique
  • nanoparticles
  • 2D materials
  • functionalization
  • hybridization
  • biomimetic synthesis
  • characterization techniques
  • membrane filtration
  • wastewater treatment
  • desalination
  • environment remediation
  • drug
  • pesticides
  • virus
  • antifouling
  • antibacterial
  • sustainability

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Related Special Issue

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

13 pages, 2502 KiB  
Article
Facile Fabrication of Hierarchical Structured Anodic Aluminum Oxide Molds for Large-Scale Production of Superhydrophobic Polymer Films
by Athinarayanan Balasankar, Raja Venkatesan, Dae-Yeong Jeong, Tae Hwan Oh, Seong-Cheol Kim, Alexandre A. Vetcher and Subramaniyan Ramasundaram
Polymers 2024, 16(16), 2344; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16162344 - 19 Aug 2024
Viewed by 477
Abstract
Anodized aluminum oxide (AAO) molds were used for the production of large-area and inexpensive superhydrophobic polymer films. A controlled anodization methodology was developed for the fabrication of hierarchical micro–nanoporous (HMN) AAO imprint molds (HMN-AAO), where phosphoric acid was used as both an electrolyte [...] Read more.
Anodized aluminum oxide (AAO) molds were used for the production of large-area and inexpensive superhydrophobic polymer films. A controlled anodization methodology was developed for the fabrication of hierarchical micro–nanoporous (HMN) AAO imprint molds (HMN-AAO), where phosphoric acid was used as both an electrolyte and a widening agent. Heat generated upon repetitive high-voltage (195 V) anodization steps is effectively dissipated by establishing a cooling channel. On the HMN-AAO, within the hemispherical micropores, arrays of hexagonal nanopores are formed. The diameter and depth of the micro- and nanopores are 18/8 and 0.3/1.25 µm, respectively. The gradual removal of micropatterns during etching in both the vertical and horizontal directions is crucial for fabricating HMN-AAO with a high aspect ratio. HMN-AAO rendered polycarbonate (PC) and polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) films with respective water contact angles (WCAs) of 153° and 151°, respectively. The increase in the WCA is 80% for PC (85°) and 89% for PMMA (80°). On the PC and PMMA films, mechanically robust arrays of nanopillars are observed within the hemispherical micropillars. The micro–nanopillars on these polymer films are mechanically robust and durable. Regular nanoporous AAO molds resulted in only a hydrophobic polymer film (WCA = 113–118°). Collectively, the phosphoric acid-based controlled anodization strategy can be effectively utilized for the manufacturing of HMN-AAO molds and roll-to-roll production of durable superhydrophobic surfaces. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Trends in Polymer Membranes: Fabrication Technique, Characterization, Functionalization, and Applications in Environmental Science, 2nd Edition)
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11 pages, 7771 KiB  
Article
The Incorporation of Sulfonated PAF Enhances the Proton Conductivity of Nafion Membranes at High Temperatures
by Kun Cai, Jinzhu Yu, Wenjun Tan, Cong Gao, Zili Zhao, Suxin Yuan, Jinghui Cheng, Yajie Yang and Ye Yuan
Polymers 2024, 16(15), 2208; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16152208 - 2 Aug 2024
Viewed by 726
Abstract
Nafion membranes are widely used as proton exchange membranes, but their proton conductivity deteriorates in high-temperature environments due to the loss of water molecules. To address this challenge, we propose the utilization of porous aromatic frameworks (PAFs) as a potential solution. PAFs exhibit [...] Read more.
Nafion membranes are widely used as proton exchange membranes, but their proton conductivity deteriorates in high-temperature environments due to the loss of water molecules. To address this challenge, we propose the utilization of porous aromatic frameworks (PAFs) as a potential solution. PAFs exhibit remarkable characteristics, such as a high specific surface area and porosity, and their porous channels can be post-synthesized. Here, a novel approach was employed to synthesize a PAF material, designated as PAF-45D, which exhibits a specific surface area of 1571.9 m2·g−1 and possesses the added benefits of facile synthesis and a low cost. Subsequently, sulfonation treatment was applied to PAF-45D in order to introduce sulfonic acid groups into its pores, resulting in the formation of PAF-45DS. The successful incorporation of sulfonic groups was confirmed through TG, IR, and EDS analyses. Furthermore, a novel Nafion composite membrane was prepared by incorporating PAF-45DS. The Nyquist plot of the composite membranes demonstrates that the sulfonated PAF-45DS material can enhance the proton conductivity of Nafion membranes at high temperatures. Specifically, under identical film formation conditions, doping with a 4% mass fraction of PAF-45DS, the conductivity of the Nafion composite membrane increased remarkably from 2.25 × 10−3 S·cm−1 to 5.67 × 10−3 S·cm−1, nearly 2.5 times higher. Such promising and cost-effective materials could be envisioned for application in the field of Nafion composite membranes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Trends in Polymer Membranes: Fabrication Technique, Characterization, Functionalization, and Applications in Environmental Science, 2nd Edition)
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15 pages, 10490 KiB  
Article
Plasma Surface Treatment and Application of Polyvinyl Alcohol/Polylactic Acid Electrospun Fibrous Hemostatic Membrane
by Xiaotian Ge, Li Zhang, Xuanhe Wei, Xi Long and Yingchao Han
Polymers 2024, 16(12), 1635; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16121635 - 9 Jun 2024
Viewed by 905
Abstract
In this study, an improved PVA/PLA fibrous hemostatic membrane was prepared by electrospinning technology combined with air plasma modification. The plasma treatment was used to modify PLA to enhance the interlayer bonding between the PVA and PLA fibrous membranes first, then modify the [...] Read more.
In this study, an improved PVA/PLA fibrous hemostatic membrane was prepared by electrospinning technology combined with air plasma modification. The plasma treatment was used to modify PLA to enhance the interlayer bonding between the PVA and PLA fibrous membranes first, then modify the PVA to improve the hemostatic capacity. The surfaces of the PLA and PVA were oxidized after air plasma treatment, the fibrous diameter was reduced, and roughness was increased. Plasma treatment enhanced the interfacial bond strength of PLA/PVA composite fibrous membrane, and PLA acted as a good mechanical support. Plasma-treated PVA/PLA composite membranes showed an increasing liquid-enrichment capacity of 350% and shortened the coagulation time to 258 s. The hemostatic model of the liver showed that the hemostatic ability of plasma-treated PVA/PLA composite membranes was enhanced by 79% compared to untreated PVA membranes, with a slight improvement over commercially available collagen. The results showed that the plasma-treated PVA/PLA fibers were able to achieve more effective hemostasis, which provides a new strategy for improving the hemostatic performance of hemostatic materials. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Trends in Polymer Membranes: Fabrication Technique, Characterization, Functionalization, and Applications in Environmental Science, 2nd Edition)
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