Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Efficient heavy metals and salts rejection using a novel modified polysulfone nanofiltration membrane

Researchers developed a modified membrane filter using a functionalized silica material (H-KIT-6) embedded in polysulfone to remove heavy metals and salts from contaminated water with up to 99.85% efficiency. This improved nanofiltration membrane also resists clogging better than standard membranes, making it a practical candidate for purifying industrial wastewater and brackish drinking water sources.

2022 Applied Water Science 24 citations
Article Tier 2

Dual modification of reverse osmosis membranes with NH2-MIL-125 and functionalised multiwalled carbon nanotubes for enhanced nanoplastic removal

Researchers developed a doubly modified reverse osmosis membrane by adding metal-organic framework particles to the support layer and carbon nanotubes to the filtering layer, achieving 98.4% salt rejection and significantly better resistance to nanoplastic fouling. This advanced membrane design could improve water treatment systems' ability to remove nanoplastics from drinking water.

2024 Chemosphere 22 citations
Article Tier 2

Fabrication of dual-charged MOF-based ultrafiltration membrane to remove charged nanoplastics from wastewater

Researchers developed a new type of water filter membrane that can remove over 99% of nanoplastics from wastewater while maintaining high water flow. The membrane uses metal-organic framework nanoparticles that repel plastic particles through electrical charges and physical filtering. This technology could help prevent nanoplastics, which are too small for conventional filters, from reaching drinking water sources.

2025 Journal of Water Process Engineering 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Anatase-cellulose acetate for reinforced desalination membrane with antibacterial properties

Researchers developed water filtration membranes by embedding tiny titanium dioxide (anatase) particles into cellulose acetate, a biodegradable material, to improve both mechanical strength and bacteria-killing ability. The enhanced membranes achieved up to 92% salt rejection and effectively inhibited bacterial growth, offering a safer and more durable option for desalinating brackish and underground water.

2023 BMC Chemistry 15 citations
Article Tier 2

Harnessing Squid Bone for Ultra‐Permeable Water Purification Membranes

Researchers fabricated ultra-permeable water purification membranes from carboxylated beta-chitin nanofibers derived from squid bone, achieving exceptional water flux and 100% rejection of 100 nm nanoplastics. The membranes also showed high rejection of smaller nanoplastics (50 nm) at greater thickness, offering a sustainable, high-performance filtration material.

2025 Advanced Materials 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Evaluating the performance of the metal organic framework-based ultrafiltration membrane for nanoplastics removal

Researchers created an advanced membrane filter using metal-organic framework nanoparticles that removed over 99% of nanoplastics from water while maintaining high water flow rates. The membrane resisted fouling and worked reliably across multiple cycles and different water conditions. This type of technology could improve wastewater treatment plants' ability to prevent nanoplastics from reaching drinking water supplies.

2024 Separation and Purification Technology 19 citations
Article Tier 2

Multifunctional sodium alginate/chitosan-modified graphene oxide reinforced membrane for simultaneous removal of nanoplastics, emulsified oil, and dyes in water

Researchers developed a bioinspired three-layer membrane using sodium alginate, graphene oxide, and chitosan that removed over 99% of nanoplastics, emulsified oil, and dyes from water simultaneously, with excellent stability in extreme pH conditions and good recyclability.

2023 International Journal of Biological Macromolecules 45 citations
Article Tier 2

Ultrastable Co-NC membrane for sterilization of Escherichia coli in flowing water

Researchers built a durable membrane embedded with cobalt nanoparticles that, when combined with a chemical activator, eliminated 99.9999% of E. coli bacteria in continuously flowing water and maintained over 96% effectiveness after 40 uses. The membrane works by generating high-energy reactive species that penetrate bacterial cell walls, offering a promising tool for real-world water disinfection.

2023 npj Clean Water 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Superhydrophilic adsorptive nanofiber membranes for ultrafast and highly-efficient waterborne nanoplastic removal

Researchers engineered a superhydrophilic nanofiber membrane by cross-linking polyethylene oxide into a polylactic acid polymer network, achieving greater than 99.99% separation efficiency for nanoplastics larger than 150 nm through combined hydrophobic and pi-pi molecular interactions, with water permeance 53 times higher than conventional membranes under gravity-driven flow.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Advanced Water Production via Point of Use Super‐Ultralow‐Pressure Reverse Osmosis and Cellulose‐Polyamide Thin‐Film Nanocomposite Membranes

This study developed a new type of reverse osmosis membrane for home water purification that works at unusually low pressure, making it more energy-efficient than conventional systems. The membrane incorporates cellulose nanofibers to improve water flow, salt rejection, and resistance to fouling and chlorine. While the study focuses on membrane engineering rather than microplastics specifically, improved point-of-use filtration technology is relevant to reducing microplastic exposure from drinking water.

2025 Advanced Materials Interfaces 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Designing poly(vinylidene fluoride) membranes with narrow pore size distribution for microplastics removal from water

Scientists developed an improved method for making water filtration membranes with very uniform pore sizes, specifically designed to capture tiny microplastic particles. Using a common polymer (PVDF) and a straightforward manufacturing process, the membranes achieved over 97 percent removal of microplastic particles as small as 500 nanometers. The study suggests this approach could offer a practical and scalable solution for filtering microplastics from drinking water and wastewater.

2023 Journal of Applied Polymer Science 15 citations
Article Tier 2

Advancements in Sustainable Membrane Technologies for Enhanced Remediation and Wastewater Treatment: A Comprehensive Review

This review covers membrane filtration technologies—reverse osmosis, nanofiltration, and ultrafiltration—as methods for removing contaminants from water, with relevance to microplastic and nanoplastic removal from drinking water and wastewater. Advancing membrane-based treatment is critical for reducing the microplastic load in treated water that humans and ecosystems are ultimately exposed to.

2023 Acadlore Transactions on Geosciences 10 citations
Article Tier 2

A PDA@ZIF-8-Incorporated PMIA TFN-FO Membrane for Seawater Desalination: Improving Water Flux and Anti-Fouling Performance

Researchers developed a thin-film nanocomposite forward osmosis membrane incorporating polydopamine-coated ZIF-8 metal-organic framework particles into a polyamide matrix for seawater desalination. The modified membrane showed improved water flux and salt rejection compared to conventional forward osmosis membranes.

2024 Membranes 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Reduced graphene oxide membrane with small nanosheets for efficient and ultrafast removal of both microplastics and small molecules

Researchers created a membrane from small-sized reduced graphene oxide nanosheets that can efficiently filter both microplastics and small dissolved molecules from water. The membrane achieved ultrafast water flow rates while maintaining high rejection of contaminants of different sizes. The study demonstrates a promising filtration technology that could address the challenge of removing mixed-scale pollutants from wastewater.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 15 citations
Article Tier 2

Self‐supported single‐wall carbon nanotube buckypaper membranes applied to air and water filtration

Researchers fabricated self-supported single-wall carbon nanotube buckypaper membranes and demonstrated their exceptional performance in both air filtration — achieving 99.9991% efficiency — and water ultrafiltration, positioning them as versatile high-performance filter materials for environmental pollution control.

2022 Journal of Chemical Technology & Biotechnology 21 citations
Article Tier 2

Impact of nanoplastics on membrane scaling and fouling in reverse osmosis desalination process

This study investigated how polystyrene nanoplastics affect membrane scaling and fouling in reverse osmosis desalination, finding that nanoplastics interacted with silica to alter fouling behavior and reduce membrane performance. The results highlight nanoplastics as a potentially disruptive contaminant for desalination infrastructure.

2023 Water Research 26 citations
Article Tier 2

From radial to unidirectional water pumping in zeta-potential modulated Nafion nanostructures

Researchers developed a self-powered water pump made from Nafion polymer that uses dissolved salts — including toxic cadmium — as fuel to drive fluid movement, demonstrating that nanostructuring the material can switch flows from spreading outward to moving in a single direction, with potential for water purification applications.

2022 Nature Communications 30 citations
Article Tier 2

Closing the loop on nanoplastic pollution: A 3D printed coral-like adsorbent enabling cyclic adsorption and ice-crystal catalytic degradation for waste minimization

Scientists created a 3D-printed coral-like filter that can remove tiny plastic particles (nanoplastics) from water with 96% efficiency. The filter uses freezing conditions to actually break down the captured plastic particles, making it reusable for multiple cleaning cycles. This could help reduce nanoplastics in drinking water, which is important since these microscopic plastic pieces are found throughout our environment and may pose health risks to humans.

2026 Journal of Cleaner Production
Article Tier 2

Membrane processes as a highly effective and eco-friendly technology for treating municipal water contaminated with micro- and nanoplastics.

Researchers evaluated membrane filtration as an environmentally friendly technology for removing micro- and nanoplastics from water, testing different membrane types and pore sizes. Membrane processes showed high removal efficiency for microplastics and outperformed conventional water treatment steps for the smallest particles.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

2D nanosheet enabled thin film nanocomposite membranes for freshwater production – a review

This review summarizes advances in water filtration membranes using 2D nanosheets — ultra-thin materials — for producing clean drinking water. Advanced filtration membranes are a key technology for removing microplastics and nanoplastics from drinking water supplies.

2021 Materials Advances 24 citations
Article Tier 2

Progress towards Stable and High-Performance Polyelectrolyte Multilayer Nanofiltration Membranes for Future Wastewater Treatment Applications

This review evaluates polyelectrolyte multilayer nanofiltration membranes as an alternative to conventional thin-film composite membranes for wastewater treatment, highlighting recent advances in chemical resistance and fouling prevention that make them promising candidates for future water purification applications.

2023 Membranes 25 citations
Article Tier 2

Defect-engineered metal organic framework thin film nanocomposite membranes for enhanced forward osmosis performance and microplastic antifouling

Researchers engineered a new type of water filtration membrane by embedding specially designed metal-organic framework (MOF) particles into a thin film, achieving a three-fold increase in water flow rate while also becoming significantly more resistant to fouling by microplastics compared to standard membranes. The MOF particles were given controlled structural defects that created additional water transport pathways and made the membrane surface more water-attracting, reducing plastic particle adhesion. More efficient, fouling-resistant membranes could improve the viability of advanced water treatment systems for removing microplastics.

2026 Journal of Colloid and Interface Science
Article Tier 2

Hierarchical MXene Hydrogel Evaporators with Self‐Regulating Water‐Thermal Management for High‐Efficiency Removal of Multipollutants via Solar‐Energy Utilization

Engineers designed a solar-powered water purification device using MXene nanomaterials that can remove up to 99% of microplastics from water while also filtering out heavy metals and killing bacteria. The device converts sunlight into heat to evaporate and purify contaminated water, and it remains effective even after exposure to extreme cold and UV aging. This technology could provide a low-cost way to produce clean drinking water in areas affected by microplastic pollution.

2025 Small 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Biomass constructing double-layer 3D solar evaporator for highly-efficient seawater desalination and wastewater treatment

Researchers built a solar-powered water evaporator using entirely plant-based materials that achieved a 96.4% energy efficiency and could purify seawater at a rate of 3.31 kilograms per square meter per hour. The device effectively removed salt, heavy metals, organic dyes, and other pollutants from contaminated water. The study presents a sustainable, low-cost approach to both seawater desalination and wastewater treatment using renewable biomass materials.

2025 Chemical Engineering Journal 12 citations