Papers

20 results
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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

Microplastics fouling and interaction with polymeric membranes: A review

This review examined microplastic fouling of polymeric membranes used in water treatment, analyzing how MPs affect membrane permeability and rejection performance, and discussing strategies — including surface modification and pre-treatment — to mitigate fouling.

2021 Chemosphere 113 citations
Article Tier 2

Functionalization of polymers and nanomaterials for water treatment, food packaging, textile and biomedical applications: a review

This review covers surface functionalization strategies for polymers and nanomaterials to improve adhesion, wettability, biocompatibility, and performance in water treatment, food packaging, and biomedical applications. Functionalization is highlighted as an approach to expand the utility of inert conventional polymers and nanomaterials without the environmental drawbacks of additive-laden plastic products.

2020 Environmental Chemistry Letters 229 citations
Article Tier 2

Review of New Approaches for Fouling Mitigation in Membrane Separation Processes in Water Treatment Applications

This review examined new antifouling strategies for membrane separation processes in water treatment, analyzing how organic matter including nano/microplastics, inorganic particles, and biological matter cause membrane fouling, and evaluating nanomaterial-based and other emerging mitigation approaches.

2021 Separations 140 citations
Article Tier 2

Removal of natural organic matter from surface water sources by nanofiltration and surface engineering membranes for fouling mitigation – A review

Researchers reviewed how nanofiltration membranes can remove natural organic matter — a key source of toxic disinfection byproducts — from drinking water, and assessed how surface engineering can reduce membrane clogging (fouling). They found that membranes modified with zwitterionic polymers show the most promise for maintaining clean, effective water treatment over time.

2023 Chemosphere 64 citations
Article Tier 2

Interfacial Engineering of Soft Matter Substrates by Solid-State Polymer Adsorption

Researchers investigated interfacial engineering of soft matter substrates through solid-state polymer adsorption, examining how polymer films modify surface properties with implications for materials design and the broader understanding of polymer behavior relevant to plastic persistence in the environment.

2024 ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces 1 citations
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

Dynamic Surface Antifouling Materials

This paper reviewed dynamic surface antifouling (DSAF) materials that resist marine biofouling through continuously changing surface properties, describing degradable polymer systems that prevent microorganism and organism attachment on underwater structures.

2023 Chinese Journal of Chemistry 16 citations
Article Tier 2

Technological Advances in Ceramic Membranes for Water Treatment

This review examines technological innovations in ceramic membrane materials and fabrication for water treatment, covering Al2O3, TiO2, SiO2, and ZrO2-based membranes and their surface modifications. It finds ceramic membranes effective at removing heavy metals, pathogens, and other contaminants including microplastics, but notes that high acquisition, maintenance, and operating costs limit broader adoption.

2025 IntechOpen eBooks 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Multifunctional Application of Biopolymers and Biomaterials

This paper is not about microplastics; it is a broad review of multifunctional applications of biopolymers and biomaterials across medicine, packaging, and engineering.

2023 International Journal of Molecular Sciences 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Bio-Based Polymeric Membranes: Development and Environmental Applications

This review examined bio-based polymeric membranes as environmentally friendly alternatives to fossil-derived materials for water treatment, discussing polymer selection, preparation methods, green solvents, and their effectiveness in removing organic and inorganic contaminants.

2023 Membranes 34 citations
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

Interfacial Phenomena of Plastics: From Surface Modifications to Environmental Impacts

This review examines the interfacial phenomena of plastics, covering how surface modifications affect plastic properties and how surface characteristics drive environmental impacts including pollutant sorption, biofilm formation, and ecosystem interactions once plastics enter natural environments.

2025 Civil War Book Review
Article Tier 2

Recent Studies of Membranes for Liquids Separation and Water Treatment

This review surveys recent advances in membrane technologies for liquid separation and water treatment, covering the growing challenge of removing diverse pollutants including inorganic chemicals, pharmaceuticals, pathogens, and microplastics generated by rapid urbanization and industrialization. The authors evaluate membrane performance, fouling challenges, and emerging modifications aimed at improving selectivity and durability for various wastewater treatment applications.

2023 Membranes 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Current Status and Advancement of Nanomaterials within Polymeric Membranes for Water Purification

This review examines advances in nanomaterial-enhanced polymeric membranes for water purification, including the removal of contaminants like heavy metals, organic pollutants, and microplastics. Researchers highlight how integrating materials such as metal nanoparticles, nanofibers, and graphene oxide can improve membrane performance for filtering various waterborne pollutants. The study suggests these technologies hold promise for addressing growing challenges in water contamination.

2023 ACS Applied Nano Materials 34 citations
Article Tier 2

Recent advances on micro/nanoplastic pollution and membrane fouling during water treatment: A review

Researchers reviewed recent advances in understanding how micro- and nanoplastics contribute to membrane fouling during water treatment processes. The study found that while membrane separation effectively removes microplastics from wastewater effluent, fouling caused by plastic particles along with dissolved organics and extracellular polymers remains a key obstacle, and understanding the fouling mechanisms is critical for improving treatment efficiency.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 64 citations
Article Tier 2

Mitigation of membrane particulate fouling by nano/microplastics via physical cleaning strategies

This study assessed physical cleaning strategies for removing nano- and microplastic fouling from membrane surfaces used in water treatment, finding that backwashing and chemical cleaning effectiveness varied by plastic particle size and surface charge.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 64 citations
Article Tier 2

Metal-organic framework membrane for waterborne micro/nanoplastics treatment

Researchers reviewed the potential of metal-organic framework (MOF) membranes — materials with highly tunable pore structures — to filter micro- and nanoplastics from water more effectively than conventional filtration. MOF membranes showed promise due to their adjustable surface chemistry and resistance to biological fouling, though challenges like particle clumping and structural stability still need to be resolved.

2023 Chemical Engineering Journal 60 citations
Article Tier 2

Adsorptive chito-beads for control of membrane fouling

Researchers fabricated chitosan microbeads (32–283 µm) as a plastic-free alternative to microplastic-based scrubbers for cleaning reverse osmosis membranes, finding that smaller beads achieved higher fouling removal efficiency through physicochemical attraction to humic acid foulants, offering a biodegradable approach to industrial membrane maintenance.

2023 Carbohydrate Polymers 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Crosslinked Polymer Coatings of Poly (Acrylic Acid-co-acrylamide)/Polyethyleneimine (P(AA-co-AAm)/PEI) on Titanium Alloy with Excellent Lubrication Performance for Artificial Joints

Not relevant to microplastics — this study develops a hydrogel polymer coating for titanium alloy joint implants to reduce friction and wear, a biomedical engineering application with no connection to microplastic pollution.

2023 Coatings 9 citations