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Novel Polymeric Blend/Composites and Functional Membranes

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 September 2022) | Viewed by 7713

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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Polymer materials are essential tools in a wide range of applications. The development of cost-effective polymer and membrane materials with excellent physicochemical and biological properties is indispensable for replacing the high cost of commercial polymers and achieving higher performance in various applications—specifically energy, environment, and biomedical applications. Over the last few decades, researchers have explored different methods for developing different types and structures of polymers and membranes for energy, environmental, and biomedical applications. The properties and performance evolution of polymers and membranes through various characterization techniques are the key factors for potential applications. Blending/composite techniques are used to obtain the advanced properties of hybrid polymers and membranes and have revealed significant advantages from the point of view of actual applications. In this respect, Polymers has decided to publish a Special Issue titled “Novel hybrid polymeric blend/composites and membranes for energy, environment and biomedical applications”.

It is our pleasure to invite you to submit a communication, full paper, or review to this Special Issue. Examples of topics within the Special Issue’s scope include, but are not limited to:

Synthesis, structural analysis, and functional properties of polymers, blends, composites, and cross-linking;
Polymer processing and polymer fibers;
Bio-derived polymers and their composites;
Membranes/separators for fuel cells and secondary batteries;
Conductive polymers for sensors, supercapacitors, and solar cells;
Membrane filtration for water purification technologies;
Gas-selective polymers, filtration, and absorbents for air purification;
Polymers and hydrogels for biomedical applications.

Prof. Dr. Tae Hwan Oh
Dr. Sadhasivam Thangarasu
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

composite polymer
polymer nanocomosites
polymer blends
polymer fibres
bio-based polymers
polymeric hydrogels
polymer coating
polymer processing
polymer microspheres
hybrid membrane
polymer electrolyte membranes
biomemebranes
anion-exchange polymers
cationexchange polymers
acid-base polymers
conductive polymers
self-healing polymers
photo polymerization

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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15 pages, 8204 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Functionalization of PEG-AgNPs Hybrid Material to Alleviate Biofouling Tendency of Polyethersulfone Membrane

by Afrillia Fahrina, Nasrul Arahman, Sri Aprilia, Muhammad Roil Bilad, Silmina Silmina, Widia Puspita Sari, Indah Maulana Sari, Poernomo Gunawan, Mehmet Emin Pasaoglu, Vahid Vatanpour, Ismail Koyuncu and Saeid Rajabzadeh

Polymers 2022, 14(9), 1908; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14091908 - 7 May 2022

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2322

Abstract

Membrane-based processes are a promising technology in water and wastewater treatments, to supply clean and secure water. However, during membrane filtration, biofouling phenomena severely hamper the performance, leading to permanent detrimental impacts. Moreover, regular chemical cleaning is ineffective in the long-run for overcoming biofouling, because it weakens the membrane structure. Therefore, the development of a membrane material with superior anti-biofouling performance is seen as an attractive option. Hydrophilic-anti-bacterial precursor polyethylene glycol-silver nanoparticles (PEG-AgNPs) were synthesized in this study, using a sol-gel method, to mitigate biofouling on the polyethersulfone (PES) membrane surface. The functionalization of the PEG-AgNP hybrid material on a PES membrane was achieved through a simple blending technique. The PES/PEG-AgNP membrane was manufactured via the non-solvent induced phase separation method. The anti-biofouling performance was experimentally measured as the flux recovery ratio (FRR) of the prepared membrane, before and after incubation in E. coli culture for 48 h. Nanomaterial characterization confirmed that the PEG-AgNPs had hydrophilic-anti-bacterial properties. The substantial improvements in membrane performance after adding PEG-AgNPs were evaluated in terms of the water flux and FRR after the membranes experienced biofouling. The results showed that the PEG-AgNPs significantly increased the water flux of the PES membrane, from 2.87 L·m⁻²·h⁻¹ to 172.84 L·m⁻²·h⁻¹. The anti-biofouling performance of the PES pristine membrane used as a benchmark showed only 1% FRR, due to severe biofouling. In contrast, the incorporation of PEG-AgNPs in the PES membrane decreased live bacteria by 98%. It enhanced the FRR of anti-biofouling up to 79%, higher than the PES/PEG and PES/Ag membranes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Polymeric Blend/Composites and Functional Membranes)

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Review

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22 pages, 5976 KiB

Open AccessReview

Polymer Nanocomposite Membrane for Wastewater Treatment: A Critical Review

by Sivasubramani Divya and Tae Hwan Oh

Polymers 2022, 14(9), 1732; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14091732 - 24 Apr 2022

Cited by 17 | Viewed by 4291

Abstract

With regard to global concerns, such as water scarcity and aquatic pollution from industries and domestic activities, membrane-based filtration for wastewater treatment has shown promising results in terms of water purification. Filtration by polymeric membranes is highly efficient in separating contaminants; however, such membranes have limited applications. Nanocomposite membranes, which are formed by adding nanofillers to polymeric membrane matrices, can enhance the filtration process. Considerable attention has been given to nanofillers, which include carbon-based nanoparticles and metal/metal oxide nanoparticles. In this review, we first examined the current status of membrane technologies for water filtration, polymeric nanocomposite membranes, and their applications. Additionally, we highlight the challenges faced in water treatment in developing countries. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Polymeric Blend/Composites and Functional Membranes)

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