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Emergent Materials
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Emergent Materials - Special Issue

Innovations at the Water-Energy Interface: Pioneering Materials for Water Treatment & Desalination


The intersection of water and energy technologies, known as the water-energy nexus, presents compelling avenues for innovative research and development. This special issue of Emergent Materials Journal aims to provide a platform for the dissemination of cutting-edge research focused on novel materials that have the potential to revolutionize water treatment, desalination processes, and hydrogen production from water, all while considering energy efficiency and sustainability.

Scope:
Researchers and practitioners in material science, chemical engineering, environmental engineering, and related fields will find this collection invaluable for understanding the latest advancements in the water-energy nexus.

Sub-topics and areas of focused but not limited to:

1.    Advanced Membrane Technologies

  • Nanocomposite membranes for water filtration.
  • Biomimetic and bioinspired membranes.
  • Forward osmosis membranes for desalination.

2.    Nanomaterials in Water Treatment

  • Applications of nanomaterials in water purification.
  • Nanomaterials for contaminant removal (e.g., heavy metals, organic pollutants).
  • Environmental implications and safety of nanomaterials.

3.    Solar-Powered Desalination

  • Solar desalination technologies and their efficiency.
  • Photovoltaic-integrated desalination systems.
  • Sustainable and off-grid desalination solutions.

4.    Energy Recovery in Desalination

  • Pressure exchangers and energy recovery devices.
  • Energy-efficient desalination processes.
  • Integration of desalination with renewable energy sources.

5.    Emerging Water Treatment Technologies

  • Electrodialysis and capacitive deionization.
  • Graphene-based water treatment solutions.
  • Plasma-based water purification technologies.

6.    Sustainability and Environmental Impact

  • Life cycle assessment of water treatment and desalination processes.
  • Environmental impacts of brine disposal.
  • Sustainable materials and processes in water-energy systems.

7.    Water-Energy Nexus

  • Integrated approaches to water and energy management.
  • Energy-efficient water distribution and treatment systems.
  • Policy and regulatory considerations for water-energy sustainability.

8.    Innovative Water Treatment Materials

  • Use of novel polymers and composites in water treatment.
  • Development of self-cleaning and anti-fouling materials.
  • Materials for removing emerging contaminants (e.g., pharmaceuticals, microplastics).

9.    Case Studies and Practical Applications

  • Real-world examples of innovative materials in water treatment.
  • Successful implementation of water-energy technologies in different regions.
  • Lessons learned from pilot projects and full-scale installations.

10.    Sustainability and Lifecycle Analysis:
Studies focused on the environmental impact, energy usage, and long-term viability of new materials in water treatment, desalination processes, or hydrogen production.


11.    Hydrogen Production:
Exploration of advanced materials and techniques for efficient water splitting to produce hydrogen. This includes both electrolytic processes and photoelectrochemical methods that harness solar energy to split water molecules.


12.    Advanced Membrane Technologies: Advanced Membrane Technologies:
Within the water-energy nexus, novel materials for microfiltration (MF), ultrafiltration (UF), nanofiltration (NF), reverse osmosis (RO), and other techniques like forward osmosis (FO), pressure-retarded osmosis (PRO), and membrane distillation (MD) are being explored for enhanced water treatment and energy efficiency.


13.    Hybrid Systems:
Innovative combinations of existing technologies, such as MD, FO, PRO, or others coupled with solar thermal systems or integrated with hydrogen production units.


14.    Challenges and Future Directions

  • Identifying key challenges in water-energy innovations.
  • Research gaps and areas for further exploration.
  • Future trends in materials and technologies for water treatment and desalination.


We encourage interdisciplinary collaborations and welcome theoretical, experimental, and computational studies. We invite authors to submit original research articles, reviews, and short communications that align with the scope of this special issue. Your contributions will serve as a cornerstone for developing transformative technologies that contribute to global water security and energy sustainability. 
 

Submission Dates:

Opening Date:      1 October 2023
Closure Date:      30 June 2024


Guest Editors: 

Lead Guest Editor:
Dr. Dong Suk Han
Center for Advanced Materials, Qatar University, Qatar
email: dhan@qu.edu.qa

Dr. Li Wang
Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, China
email: li_wang_1@tongji.edu.cn

Dr. Faheem Hassan Akhtar
Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), Lahore, Pakistan
email: faheem.akhtar@lums.edu.pk

Dr. Jungbin Kim
Department of Environmental Science, Wenzhou-Kean University, China
email: kjungbin@kean.edu





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