New Trends in Polymer Inclusion Membranes

Dear Colleagues,

Polymer inclusion membranes (PIMs), in which a carrier is entrapped in a polymeric matrix either in the presence or absence of a plasticizer, have gained attention in recent years due to their specific advantages such as easy synthesis, effective carrier immobilization, versatility, and good mechanical properties, among others. They are recognized as membranes with outstanding efficiency factors (permeability, selectivity, and stability) and thought to be an alternative to liquid membranes, in which the extracting phase is immobilized within the pores of a polymeric support. Although the main applications of PIMs are focused on the extraction and separation processes of metal ions and small organic molecules and most published work reports focus on their role in facilitating extraction and transport as well as in ion-selective membrane electrodes for potentiometric measurements, other important areas of application are emerging every day. These include optode and catalyzer development, their inclusion in energy conversion and passive sampling devices, their applications in speciation measurements and in mimicking metal accumulation in organisms and biofilms, their use in sample pretreatment methods, e.g., electromembrane extraction, and nanoparticle synthesis. In addition, although cellulose triacetate (CTA) and poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) are commonly used as supports, new supports such as polystyrene-block-polybutadiene-block-polystyrene triblock co-polymer (SBS) and poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) (PVDF-HFP) are now being employed. In addition, new approaches for their synthesis based on diluent-free methods and using green solvents have recently been proposed. PIM characterization by several analytical techniques (e.g., backscattering spectrometry, AFM, FTIR, X-ray, SEM, DSC, TGA, transmission infrared mapping microscopy (TIMM), far-IR, Raman, and fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS)) and the application of theoretical schemes to model transport behavior have been employed to conceptualize the interactions, distribution, and behavior of the membrane components and to identify correlations between membrane structure and transport performance. The understanding of the role that the different PIM components play in membrane transport toward facilitating the design of membrane systems for particular applications has been an important area of study in PIM research.

This Special Issue will present a comprehensive overview of the inclusion of PIMs in novel applications, new synthetic routes, the incorporation of novel carriers, supports, and plasticizers, and the progress in integration between PIM characterization and understanding transport performance to showcase the recent advances in PIM technology. All aspects that contribute to successful achievements in designing, understanding, and applying PIMs are of interest and welcome for submission.

I am positive about the impact that this Special Issue will have in the PIM community and how it will serve as a reference for future development.

Prof. Dr. Eduardo Rodríguez de San Miguel Guerrero
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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• novel materials for PIMs
• new fabrication schemes
• transport characterization and modeling
• applications: passive sampling, catalyst, nanoparticle synthesis, optodes, electrodes, mimicking of biosystems, energy conversion, speciation analysis, sample pretreatment methods, transport and separation, sensors
• PIM characterization methods and interpretation

• Polymer Inclusion Membranes in Membranes (5 articles)