Pub Date : 2025-08-12DOI: 10.1016/j.coche.2025.101169
Manisha Sukhraj Kothari, Ashraf Aly Hassan, Amr El-Dieb, Hilal El-Hassan
The rapid industrial waste generation has heightened the environmental strain associated with its disposal. Carbide slag waste, a byproduct of acetylene gas production, is primarily composed of calcium hydroxide and poses significant environmental challenges due to its high volume and alkalinity. This review explores the valorization of carbide slag waste for CO2 capture and storage, particularly via its applications in cyclic CO2 capture and mineral carbonation. Scientific advancements in cyclic CO2 capture capacity and stability with antisintering strategies and pelletization for industrial applications are highlighted. Furthermore, through a detailed analysis of various mineral carbonation studies, new technological and chemical innovations that enhance carbonation efficiency, reduce energy costs, improve reaction kinetics, and enable the production of high-value materials are summarized. Concisely, even though the utilization of carbide slag waste for CO2 capture and conversion offers a sustainable pathway, it needs to be studied at a larger scale to evaluate its feasibility and associated challenges.
{"title":"Recent advancements in CO2 capture and storage using carbide slag waste: a review of technological and chemical innovations","authors":"Manisha Sukhraj Kothari, Ashraf Aly Hassan, Amr El-Dieb, Hilal El-Hassan","doi":"10.1016/j.coche.2025.101169","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.coche.2025.101169","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The rapid industrial waste generation has heightened the environmental strain associated with its disposal. Carbide slag waste, a byproduct of acetylene gas production, is primarily composed of calcium hydroxide and poses significant environmental challenges due to its high volume and alkalinity. This review explores the valorization of carbide slag waste for CO<sub>2</sub> capture and storage, particularly via its applications in cyclic CO<sub>2</sub> capture and mineral carbonation. Scientific advancements in cyclic CO<sub>2</sub> capture capacity and stability with antisintering strategies and pelletization for industrial applications are highlighted. Furthermore, through a detailed analysis of various mineral carbonation studies, new technological and chemical innovations that enhance carbonation efficiency, reduce energy costs, improve reaction kinetics, and enable the production of high-value materials are summarized. Concisely, even though the utilization of carbide slag waste for CO<sub>2</sub> capture and conversion offers a sustainable pathway, it needs to be studied at a larger scale to evaluate its feasibility and associated challenges.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":292,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Chemical Engineering","volume":"49 ","pages":"Article 101169"},"PeriodicalIF":6.8,"publicationDate":"2025-08-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144827331","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-08-06DOI: 10.1016/j.coche.2025.101167
Laura Clarizia , Abdulaziz Al-Anazi , Changseok Han
This review investigates hydrogen production via photocatalysis using ammonia, a carbon-free source potentially present in wastewater. Photocatalysis offers low energy requirements and high conversion efficiency compared to electrocatalysis, thermocatalysis, and plasma catalysis. However, challenges such as complex material synthesis, low stability, spectral inefficiency, high costs, and integration barriers hinder industrial scalability. The review addresses thermodynamic requirements, reaction mechanisms, and the role of pH in optimizing photocatalysis. By leveraging ammonia’s potential and advancing photocatalyst development, this study provides a framework for scalable, sustainable hydrogen production and simultaneous ammonia decomposition, paving the way for innovative energy solutions and wastewater management.
{"title":"Photocatalytic generation of hydrogen from a non-carbon source, ammonia in aqueous solutions","authors":"Laura Clarizia , Abdulaziz Al-Anazi , Changseok Han","doi":"10.1016/j.coche.2025.101167","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.coche.2025.101167","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This review investigates hydrogen production via photocatalysis using ammonia, a carbon-free source potentially present in wastewater. Photocatalysis offers low energy requirements and high conversion efficiency compared to electrocatalysis, thermocatalysis, and plasma catalysis. However, challenges such as complex material synthesis, low stability, spectral inefficiency, high costs, and integration barriers hinder industrial scalability. The review addresses thermodynamic requirements, reaction mechanisms, and the role of pH in optimizing photocatalysis. By leveraging ammonia’s potential and advancing photocatalyst development, this study provides a framework for scalable, sustainable hydrogen production and simultaneous ammonia decomposition, paving the way for innovative energy solutions and wastewater management.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":292,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Chemical Engineering","volume":"49 ","pages":"Article 101167"},"PeriodicalIF":6.8,"publicationDate":"2025-08-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144780587","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-08-06DOI: 10.1016/j.coche.2025.101170
Maryam Mallek , Damia Barcelo
Microplastics and the even more elusive nanoplastics are now recognized as ubiquitous, persistent, and potentially toxic contaminants in surface waters and wastewaters. Despite growing attention, real-world mitigation remains limited. This critical review interrogates the performance, scalability, and lifecycle implications of the principal removal technologies reported between 2016 and 2025. Although the size-exclusion membranes remain the benchmark for absolute removal efficiency (>95% for MPs <0.5 µm), they incur the highest unit-energy demand and chronic fouling. High-affinity sorbents, including Zr-based metal–organic frameworks, graphene-oxide hybrids, and engineered biochars, achieve 90–97% removal at far lower energy input, yet their lifecycle viability hinges on closed-loop regeneration and avoidance of polymer desorption. Magnetic composites (e.g. Fe₃O₄-ZIF-8) deliver near-quantitative capture (∼98%) within minutes, but field-scale demonstrations and robust magnet-recovery protocols are still lacking. Coagulation and electrocoagulation offer the most cost-effective high-throughput solutions (77–98%) but shift the plastic burden into metal-rich sludges. Advanced oxidation processes uniquely mineralize plastics (≤98.4%) albeit at high reagent and energy cost, while nature-based strategies (microbial consortia, hyperthermophilic composting, constructed wetlands) deliver 40–90% removal over longer residence times and remain highly sensitive to environmental variability. Across all classes, nanoplastic (<100 nm) retention is the weakest link, underscoring the need for standardized detection, nanoscale-selective materials, and pilot-scale validation. To support effective implementation, we identify key research priorities, including fouling control, sorbent regeneration, sludge valorization, catalyst stability, and risk assessment, and propose an integrated treatment hierarchy that couples low-energy bulk removal with targeted polishing and safe end-of-life management.
{"title":"Assessment of removal technologies for microplastics in surface waters and wastewaters","authors":"Maryam Mallek , Damia Barcelo","doi":"10.1016/j.coche.2025.101170","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.coche.2025.101170","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Microplastics and the even more elusive nanoplastics are now recognized as ubiquitous, persistent, and potentially toxic contaminants in surface waters and wastewaters. Despite growing attention, real-world mitigation remains limited. This critical review interrogates the performance, scalability, and lifecycle implications of the principal removal technologies reported between 2016 and 2025. Although the size-exclusion membranes remain the benchmark for absolute removal efficiency (>95% for MPs <0.5 µm), they incur the highest unit-energy demand and chronic fouling. High-affinity sorbents, including Zr-based metal–organic frameworks, graphene-oxide hybrids, and engineered biochars, achieve 90–97% removal at far lower energy input, yet their lifecycle viability hinges on closed-loop regeneration and avoidance of polymer desorption. Magnetic composites (e.g. Fe₃O₄-ZIF-8) deliver near-quantitative capture (∼98%) within minutes, but field-scale demonstrations and robust magnet-recovery protocols are still lacking. Coagulation and electrocoagulation offer the most cost-effective high-throughput solutions (77–98%) but shift the plastic burden into metal-rich sludges. Advanced oxidation processes uniquely mineralize plastics (≤98.4%) albeit at high reagent and energy cost, while nature-based strategies (microbial consortia, hyperthermophilic composting, constructed wetlands) deliver 40–90% removal over longer residence times and remain highly sensitive to environmental variability. Across all classes, nanoplastic (<100 nm) retention is the weakest link, underscoring the need for standardized detection, nanoscale-selective materials, and pilot-scale validation. To support effective implementation, we identify key research priorities, including fouling control, sorbent regeneration, sludge valorization, catalyst stability, and risk assessment, and propose an integrated treatment hierarchy that couples low-energy bulk removal with targeted polishing and safe end-of-life management.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":292,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Chemical Engineering","volume":"49 ","pages":"Article 101170"},"PeriodicalIF":6.8,"publicationDate":"2025-08-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144780588","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-07-16DOI: 10.1016/j.coche.2025.101166
Sachini Supunsala Senadheera , Xiangzhou Yuan , Baojun Yi , Seong Kyun Im , Yong Sik Ok
Biochar has recently emerged as a sustainable material with broad applicability in energy storage, contaminant removal, and carbon capture. However, its performance in these domains is often limited by intrinsic surface properties, including porosity and the abundance of functional groups. Plasma treatment has emerged as a promising postsynthesis strategy to tailor biochar’s surface chemistry and morphology. This short review highlights recent advances in the use of plasma-modified biochar for electrochemical energy storage, pollutant adsorption, and CO₂ capture. In energy storage, plasma modification enhances capacitance particularly in activated biochar by increasing surface area and functional group density. For CO₂ capture, nitrogen doping via plasma processes significantly improves adsorption capacity by enhancing surface basicity and affinity toward CO₂ molecules. In contaminant remediation, plasma treatment introduces oxygen- and nitrogen-containing functional groups, increases hydrophilicity, and promotes the formation of surface defects and active sites, collectively improving adsorption of metals and organic pollutants. Despite these promising advancements, research on plasma-treated biochar remains in its early stages, particularly in the context of direct CO₂ capture, warranting further investigation. Overall, plasma modification offers a versatile, scalable route to enhance the physicochemical properties of biochar, positioning it as a multifunctional platform for environmental and energy-related applications.
{"title":"Plasma-modified biochar for energy and environmental sustainability","authors":"Sachini Supunsala Senadheera , Xiangzhou Yuan , Baojun Yi , Seong Kyun Im , Yong Sik Ok","doi":"10.1016/j.coche.2025.101166","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.coche.2025.101166","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Biochar has recently emerged as a sustainable material with broad applicability in energy storage, contaminant removal, and carbon capture. However, its performance in these domains is often limited by intrinsic surface properties, including porosity and the abundance of functional groups. Plasma treatment has emerged as a promising postsynthesis strategy to tailor biochar’s surface chemistry and morphology. This short review highlights recent advances in the use of plasma-modified biochar for electrochemical energy storage, pollutant adsorption, and CO₂ capture. In energy storage, plasma modification enhances capacitance particularly in activated biochar by increasing surface area and functional group density. For CO₂ capture, nitrogen doping via plasma processes significantly improves adsorption capacity by enhancing surface basicity and affinity toward CO₂ molecules. In contaminant remediation, plasma treatment introduces oxygen- and nitrogen-containing functional groups, increases hydrophilicity, and promotes the formation of surface defects and active sites, collectively improving adsorption of metals and organic pollutants. Despite these promising advancements, research on plasma-treated biochar remains in its early stages, particularly in the context of direct CO₂ capture, warranting further investigation. Overall, plasma modification offers a versatile, scalable route to enhance the physicochemical properties of biochar, positioning it as a multifunctional platform for environmental and energy-related applications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":292,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Chemical Engineering","volume":"49 ","pages":"Article 101166"},"PeriodicalIF":8.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144634124","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-06-23DOI: 10.1016/j.coche.2025.101153
Mariano Martín, Sofía González-Núñez
The paradigm of process and product design represents the core problem for the current chemical industry. It corresponds to a multiscale problem, from the molecule to the process that uses it to produce power, recovers it as a valuable product or from the molecules that represent the ingredients to the supply chain toward the sustainable production of consumer goods. The problem requires a systematic approach to reduce the time to market. Mathematical optimization and advanced machine learning are powerful techniques for a robust problem formulation. However, problem size and complexity call for novel procedures and algorithms are required.
{"title":"Systematic multiscale strategies for chemical process/product design","authors":"Mariano Martín, Sofía González-Núñez","doi":"10.1016/j.coche.2025.101153","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.coche.2025.101153","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The paradigm of process and product design represents the core problem for the current chemical industry. It corresponds to a multiscale problem, from the molecule to the process that uses it to produce power, recovers it as a valuable product or from the molecules that represent the ingredients to the supply chain toward the sustainable production of consumer goods. The problem requires a systematic approach to reduce the time to market. Mathematical optimization and advanced machine learning are powerful techniques for a robust problem formulation. However, problem size and complexity call for novel procedures and algorithms are required.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":292,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Chemical Engineering","volume":"49 ","pages":"Article 101153"},"PeriodicalIF":8.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144364798","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-06-21DOI: 10.1016/j.coche.2025.101164
Jie Jin, Yin-Ning Zhou, Zheng-Hong Luo
{"title":"Editorial overview: Kinetic models for radical polymerization and polymer recycling","authors":"Jie Jin, Yin-Ning Zhou, Zheng-Hong Luo","doi":"10.1016/j.coche.2025.101164","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.coche.2025.101164","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":292,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Chemical Engineering","volume":"49 ","pages":"Article 101164"},"PeriodicalIF":8.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144331451","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-06-18DOI: 10.1016/j.coche.2025.101156
Daniela Ferreira-Garcia , Suhail Haque , Ben Burke , Ariel L Furst , Gerardine G Botte
Rising global food demand requires rethinking fertilizer production. The current Haber-Bosch process, while fundamental to nitrogen fertilizer, consumes 1–2% of global energy and generates 1.4% of CO2 emissions. Projected population growth will increase nitrogen demand 50% by 2050. Waste valorization through electrocatalytic approaches offers a sustainable solution, targeting municipal, agricultural, and animal waste streams. Analysis shows US municipal wastewater biosolids alone could provide 9% of nitrogen and 32% of phosphorus needs in the United States. The transition from centralized fertilizer production to a distributed production model requires new chemical engineering approaches, emphasizing local resource integration, system optimization, and circular economy principles.
{"title":"Electrochemical organic waste conversion: a route toward food security and a circular economy","authors":"Daniela Ferreira-Garcia , Suhail Haque , Ben Burke , Ariel L Furst , Gerardine G Botte","doi":"10.1016/j.coche.2025.101156","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.coche.2025.101156","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Rising global food demand requires rethinking fertilizer production. The current Haber-Bosch process, while fundamental to nitrogen fertilizer, consumes 1–2% of global energy and generates 1.4% of CO<sub>2</sub> emissions. Projected population growth will increase nitrogen demand 50% by 2050. Waste valorization through electrocatalytic approaches offers a sustainable solution, targeting municipal, agricultural, and animal waste streams. Analysis shows US municipal wastewater biosolids alone could provide 9% of nitrogen and 32% of phosphorus needs in the United States. The transition from centralized fertilizer production to a distributed production model requires new chemical engineering approaches, emphasizing local resource integration, system optimization, and circular economy principles.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":292,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Chemical Engineering","volume":"49 ","pages":"Article 101156"},"PeriodicalIF":8.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144307247","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-06-18DOI: 10.1016/j.coche.2025.101154
Surya Teja Malkapuram, Shirish H Sonawane
Cavitation — the formation, growth, and subsequent violent collapse of bubbles in a liquid — arises from localized pressure drops that trigger either liquid vaporization or the expansion of dissolved gas nuclei. This review examines recent technological advancements in cavitation, assessing its detection and quantification methods. It highlights transformative HC applications in areas such as wastewater treatment (e.g. pollutant degradation via chemical processing) and material synthesis and processing (e.g. particle size control and cell wall disruption via physical effects). Existing pilot-scale implementations are also reviewed, with an emphasis on reactor design, operational parameters, and the pressing question: How close are we to widespread commercial deployment? Key challenges, including enhancing energy efficiency and developing robust scale-up strategies, are discussed in the context of bridging the gap between laboratory research and industrial practice. While significant progress has been made, continued research and development in these areas are essential to fully realize the commercial potential of cavitation.
{"title":"Intensified physical and chemical processing using cavitation: how far are we from commercial applications of hydrodynamic cavitation?","authors":"Surya Teja Malkapuram, Shirish H Sonawane","doi":"10.1016/j.coche.2025.101154","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.coche.2025.101154","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Cavitation — the formation, growth, and subsequent violent collapse of bubbles in a liquid — arises from localized pressure drops that trigger either liquid vaporization or the expansion of dissolved gas nuclei. This review examines recent technological advancements in cavitation, assessing its detection and quantification methods. It highlights transformative HC applications in areas such as wastewater treatment (e.g. pollutant degradation via chemical processing) and material synthesis and processing (e.g. particle size control and cell wall disruption via physical effects). Existing pilot-scale implementations are also reviewed, with an emphasis on reactor design, operational parameters, and the pressing question: How close are we to widespread commercial deployment? Key challenges, including enhancing energy efficiency and developing robust scale-up strategies, are discussed in the context of bridging the gap between laboratory research and industrial practice. While significant progress has been made, continued research and development in these areas are essential to fully realize the commercial potential of cavitation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":292,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Chemical Engineering","volume":"49 ","pages":"Article 101154"},"PeriodicalIF":8.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144307244","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-06-13DOI: 10.1016/j.coche.2025.101155
Parag Gogate , Sivakumar Manickam
{"title":"Editorial overview: Intensified physical and chemical processing","authors":"Parag Gogate , Sivakumar Manickam","doi":"10.1016/j.coche.2025.101155","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.coche.2025.101155","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":292,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Chemical Engineering","volume":"49 ","pages":"Article 101155"},"PeriodicalIF":8.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144271739","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-06-11DOI: 10.1016/j.coche.2025.101151
Mert Can Hacıfazlıoğlu , Salman Ahmadipouya , Deniz Ipekci , Ying Li , Manish Kumar , Jamie Warner , Yuepeng Zhang , Jeffrey R. McCutcheon
Reverse osmosis (RO) has constituted most of the installed desalination capacity in recent decades. Commercial membranes offer excellent selectivity and reasonable productivity. These membranes, however, suffer from several weaknesses that stem from the use of interfacial polymerization as a means of manufacturing. The inability to control thickness, adjust easily to new chemistries, and avoid surface roughness that enhances foulilng propensity are a few of the weaknesses to conventional membrane fabrication. Numerous materials have been proposed as alternatives to polyamide for RO in recent decades. However, in spite of numerous publications on these new materials, it is remarkable to see how none has even come close to succeeding in replacing conventional RO membrane materials in a commercial setting. This is largely because many of these new materials are incompatible with existing membrane manufacturing approaches such as interfacial polymerization. We must be able to process new materials into thin, defect-free films on conventional supports. This is a significant hurdle for new material adoption in membranes today. New manufacturing methods are needed to address the inherent weaknesses of interfacial polymerization for polyamide and the general processing of newly discovered materials into thin film composite membranes for RO and nanofiltration platforms.
{"title":"Customized membranes: needs and opportunities for moving beyond conventional interfacial polymerization for desalination membranes","authors":"Mert Can Hacıfazlıoğlu , Salman Ahmadipouya , Deniz Ipekci , Ying Li , Manish Kumar , Jamie Warner , Yuepeng Zhang , Jeffrey R. McCutcheon","doi":"10.1016/j.coche.2025.101151","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.coche.2025.101151","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Reverse osmosis (RO) has constituted most of the installed desalination capacity in recent decades. Commercial membranes offer excellent selectivity and reasonable productivity. These membranes, however, suffer from several weaknesses that stem from the use of interfacial polymerization as a means of manufacturing. The inability to control thickness, adjust easily to new chemistries, and avoid surface roughness that enhances foulilng propensity are a few of the weaknesses to conventional membrane fabrication. Numerous materials have been proposed as alternatives to polyamide for RO in recent decades. However, in spite of numerous publications on these new materials, it is remarkable to see how <em>none</em> has even come close to succeeding in replacing conventional RO membrane materials in a commercial setting. This is largely because many of these new materials are incompatible with existing membrane manufacturing approaches such as interfacial polymerization. We must be able to process new materials into thin, defect-free films on conventional supports. This is a significant hurdle for new material adoption in membranes today. New manufacturing methods are needed to address the inherent weaknesses of interfacial polymerization for polyamide and the general processing of newly discovered materials into thin film composite membranes for RO and nanofiltration platforms.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":292,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Chemical Engineering","volume":"49 ","pages":"Article 101151"},"PeriodicalIF":8.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144262063","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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