Papers

61,005 results
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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

Forward Osmosis Membrane: Review of Fabrication, Modification, Challenges and Potential

This review examines the fabrication and modification of forward osmosis membranes, a low-energy water treatment technology that uses osmotic pressure rather than hydraulic pressure for separation. Researchers discuss current challenges including membrane fouling, draw solute selection, and internal concentration polarization, while highlighting the potential of forward osmosis for applications such as desalination and wastewater treatment.

2023 Membranes 79 citations
Article Tier 2

Effect of Promising Sustainable Nano-Reinforcements on Polysulfone/Polyvinylpyrrolidone-Based Membranes: Enhancing Mechanical Properties and Water Filtration Performance

Researchers tested nano-reinforced polysulfone/polyvinylpyrrolidone composite membranes for water filtration, evaluating how sustainable nanomaterial additives improved membrane permeability, rejection performance, and mechanical durability. The enhanced membranes showed improved filtration efficiency for water treatment applications.

2024 Polymers 9 citations
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

Improving Membrane Filtration for Copper Speciation: Optimal Salt Pretreatments of Polyethersulfone Membranes to Prevent Analyte Retention

Researchers developed optimized salt pretreatment protocols for polyethersulfone ultrafiltration membranes used in copper speciation studies, preventing unwanted retention of metal ions by membrane sulfonic acid groups and improving the accuracy of dissolved metal measurements.

2023 ACS Omega 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics-resistant FO membranes: Zwitterionic MOF nanoparticles for superior fouling control

Researchers developed a new type of forward osmosis membrane modified with zwitterionic metal-organic framework nanoparticles to resist fouling by microplastics. The modified membranes showed a 73 percent improvement in water-attracting properties and only a 17 percent decline in water flow during fouling tests, compared to 60 percent for unmodified membranes. The technology could improve the efficiency of water treatment systems that need to handle microplastic-contaminated water.

2025 Journal of environmental chemical engineering 10 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

Supramolecular nanocrystalline membranes with well-aligned subnanochannels for enhanced reverse osmosis desalination

Researchers engineered a 6-nanometer-thick membrane with precisely aligned sub-nanometer channels that filters seawater more efficiently than commercial reverse osmosis membranes, removing 99.6% of salt while passing water 2–4 times faster. The membrane also showed exceptional resistance to chlorine, boron, and extreme pH, pointing toward more durable and effective desalination technology.

2025 Nature Communications 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Electrically conductive membranes featuring integrated porous feed spacers for superior antifouling performance

Researchers fabricated electrically conductive polyethersulfone membranes containing polyaniline and integrated porous feed spacers, finding that applying a low voltage (4V) reduced biofouling significantly compared to unmodified membranes while maintaining high water flux.

2025 npj Clean Water 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Modeling and multi-objective optimization of forward osmosis process

Researchers developed and optimized a mathematical model for forward osmosis processes used in wastewater treatment and seawater desalination. The study demonstrated that gradient-based optimization with temperature- and agent-dependent parameters can improve process efficiency, which is relevant to membrane technologies that may help address microplastic contamination in water systems.

2024 Desalination 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Antibacterial Activity of Silver Nanoflake (SNF)-Blended Polysulfone Ultrafiltration Membrane

Silver nanoflakes were incorporated into polysulfone ultrafiltration membranes at various concentrations to add antibacterial properties. Higher nanoflake concentrations improved antibacterial performance but reduced membrane flux. The modified membranes show promise for water treatment applications where biofouling is a persistent problem.

2022 Polymers 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Nanoplastics-mediated interfacial processes controlling perfluorooctanoic acid transport in forward osmosis

Researchers examined how polystyrene nanoplastics with different surface chemistries affect PFAS removal in a forward osmosis membrane system, finding that nanoplastic fouling promotes accumulation of PFOA near the membrane surface — especially for positively charged particles — worsening concentration polarization and complicating PFAS removal from contaminated waters.

2026 Journal of Hazardous Materials
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

Innovative Physical and Chemical Strategies for the Modification and Development of Polymeric Microfiltration Membranes—A Review

This review covers physical and chemical strategies for modifying polymeric microfiltration membranes to improve their performance and reduce fouling in water, dairy, beverage, and pharmaceutical processing. While not exclusively focused on microplastics, these membrane technologies are directly relevant as filtration barriers for removing micro- and nanoplastic particles from treated water.

2026 Polymers
Article Tier 2

Optimized Polymeric Membranes for Water Treatment: Fabrication, Morphology, and Performance

This review examines advances in polymer membrane design for water purification, focusing on how chemical functionalization and fabrication methods determine membrane performance. Researchers highlight promising developments incorporating metal-organic frameworks, covalent organic frameworks, and graphene into polymer membranes for selectively removing toxic metals and chemicals. The study emphasizes that choosing the right polymer chemistry and morphology is critical for developing efficient water treatment systems.

2024 Polymers 16 citations
Article Tier 2

Synthesis of polyethersulfone/titanium dioxide membranes: analysis of morphology, mechanical properties, and water filtration performance

Polyethersulfone (PES) membranes reinforced with titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles were synthesized and evaluated for water purification performance. TiO2 addition improved membrane morphology, mechanical strength, and antifouling properties, enhancing the efficiency of microplastic and pollutant removal from water.

2024 Eastern-European Journal of Enterprise Technologies
Article Tier 2

State-of-the-Art of Polymer/Fullerene C60 Nanocomposite Membranes for Water Treatment: Conceptions, Structural Diversity and Topographies

This review surveyed the development of polymer/fullerene C60 nanocomposite membranes for water treatment, highlighting how fullerene's zero-dimensional structure and high surface area enhance membrane performance for desalination, nanofiltration, and microbial removal.

2022 Membranes 24 citations
Article Tier 2

Hot-pressed saloplastics as sustainable ion-exchange membranes

Researchers developed hot-pressed saloplastics as sustainable ion-exchange membranes by softening charged polymer complexes with salt and fabricating dense materials, investigating their potential as environmentally friendlier alternatives to conventional ion-exchange membranes.

2022
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

Elucidating governing factors of PFAS removal by polyamide membranes using machine learning and molecular simulations

Researchers used machine learning models to identify the key factors controlling how well polyamide membranes filter out PFAS — the so-called 'forever chemicals' that contaminate drinking water — finding that electrical charge interactions between the chemicals and the membrane are the dominant force. This approach offers a data-driven way to design better water filtration membranes for removing these persistent pollutants.

2024 Nature Communications 41 citations
Article Tier 2

Support Vector Machines for Evaluating the Impact of the Forward Osmosis Membrane Characteristics on the Rejection of the Organic Molecules

Researchers applied support vector machine modeling to predict the rejection of 53 neutral organic molecules by forward osmosis membranes based on membrane characteristics. The SVM model was validated and compared against other modeling approaches, providing a data-driven tool for optimizing forward osmosis membrane selection in water treatment applications.

2023 Kemija u industriji 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Best of Both Worlds: Adsorptive Ultrafiltration Nanocellulose‐Hypercrosslinked Polymer Hybrid Membranes for Metal Ion Removal

Researchers developed an adsorptive ultrafiltration membrane combining nanocellulose and hypercrosslinked polymer to achieve high removal of both microplastics and dissolved contaminants, demonstrating dual-function performance in water treatment.

2024 Small Science 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Synergistic integration of biosurfactants and membrane filtration for sustainable environmental remediation

This review analyzes the potential of combining biosurfactants (rhamnolipids, surfactin) with micellar-enhanced ultrafiltration membrane technology for removing heavy metals, microplastics, pharmaceuticals, and PFAS from polluted water, achieving over 95% rejection rates for metals and organics.

2025 International Journal of Science and Research Archive
Article Tier 2

Molecularly imprinted polymers for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances enrichment and detection

Researchers reviewed the use of molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) — synthetic materials engineered to selectively bind specific molecules — as adsorbents and sensors for detecting and removing PFAS 'forever chemicals' from environmental water, summarizing preparation methods, transduction approaches, and remaining technical barriers to real-world deployment.

2023 Talanta 45 citations