Alberto Figoli

Italian National Research Council | CNR · Institute on Membrane Technology ITM

High-performance and sustainable membranes for water desalination applications are crucial to address the growing global demand for clean water. Concurrently, electrospinning has emerged as a versatile manufacturing method for fabricating nanofibrous membranes for membrane distillation. However, widespread adoption of electrospinning for processing...

Supplementary Information

This study explores the development of chitosan-based membranes blended with three distinct deep eutectic solvents (DESs) for the pervaporation separation of methanol and methyl tert-butyl ether. DESs were selected for their eco-friendly properties and their potential to enhance membrane performance. The chitosan (CS) membranes, both crosslinked an...

During the production and laying phases of hot-mixing asphalt (HMA), various volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and noxious gases such as H2S are released into the atmosphere. These emissions are a serious environmental problem, a risk to human health, and expose workers and residents to unfriendly odours. The aim of this study was the development o...

Conductive polymers, such as polyaniline (PANI), have interesting applications, ranging from flexible electronics, energy storage devices, sensors, antistatic or anticorrosion coatings, etc. However, the full exploitation of conductive polymers still poses a challenge due to their low processability. The use of compatible stabilizers to obtain disp...

Increasing global water shortages are accelerating the pace of membrane manufacturing, which generates many environmentally harmful solvents. Such challenges need a radical rethink of developing innovative membranes that can address freshwater production without generating environmentally harmful solvents. This work utilized the synthesized ultra-l...

An archaeometric approach was applied to the study of the hoard found in the Samshvilde fortress, one of the richest areas of archaeological artefacts in Caucasian Georgia, since it is representative of the historical events from the Neolithic period until the most recent epochs. In this context, four coins dated back to the 12th–13th centuries AD...

Enhancement of alkaline water electrolysis requires to develop anion exchange membranes (AEMs) combining high permselectivity with low resistance to ions transport and stability during prolonged contact with concentrated alkaline solution. We now report that CytroCell@PIL, a mixed matrix membrane obtained by a synergic combination of CytroCell micr...

The processability of conductive polymers such as polyaniline (PANI) still poses a challenge due to their properties. The use of stabilizers, compatible and able to interact with PANI, to obtain dispersible and stable colloids is described in this work. To this aim, potato starch has been used as a steric stabilizer for the preparation of polyanili...

The low-fouling propensity of commercially available polyethersulfone (PES) membranes was studied after modification of the membrane surface via coating with polymerizable bicontinuous microemulsion (PBM) materials. The PBM coating was polymerized within 1 min using ultraviolet (UV) light exposure. It was detected on the PES membrane surface via at...

The use of traditional biocidal products in cultural heritage has suffered a slowdown due to the risks related to human health and the environment. Thus, many studies have been carried out with the aim of testing innovative and environmentally friendly alternatives. In this framework, this review attempts to provide an overview of some novel potent...

Polymeric membranes are useful tools for water filtration processes, with their performance strongly dependent on the presence of hydrophilic dopants. In this study, polyaniline (PANI)-capped aluminosilicate (halloysite) nanotubes (HNTs) are dispersed into polyether sulfone (PES), with concentrations ranging from 0.5 to 1.5 wt%, to modify the prope...

The current work presented an in-depth investigation of the design and fabrication of thin film membranes for desalination applications by forward osmosis (FO). This includes manipulating the substrate membrane structure aiming to optimize the final thin film composite membrane characteristics. In this context, the MAX phase (Ti3AlC2) as a 2D mater...

The development of polymeric fabrics with photoinduced antibacterial activity is important for different emerging applications, ranging from materials for medical and clinical practices to disinfection of objects for public use. In this work we prepared a series of cellulose acetate membranes, by means of phase inversion technique, introducing diff...

Radioactive waste poses significant risks to human health and the environment due to the emission of gamma rays, beta particles, and alpha particles from natural or artificial radioactive elements. This paper reviews the essential sources of radioactive waste, their potential risks to humans and the environment, their classification depending on th...

The major challenge for membrane distillation (MD) is the membrane wetting resistance induced by pollutants in the feed solution. The proposed solution for this issue was to fabricate membranes with hydrophobic properties. Hydrophobic electrospun poly (vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) (PVDF-HFP) nanofiber membranes were produced for brin...

This paper aims to establish a new sustainable membrane with antifouling properties by developing a structured porous membrane with a honeycomb-like surface fabricated by blending polymers and additives via immersion precipitation and using a thermally induced phase inversion method coupled with exposure time to vapor. The hydrophilicity properties...

Ionotropic gelation (IG) is a highly attractive method for the synthesis of natural water-soluble polymeric nanoparticles (NPs) and sub-micron particles (sMP) due to its relatively simple procedure and the absence of organic solvents. The method involves the electrostatic interaction between two ionic species of opposite charge. Although it is well...

The major challenge for membrane distillation (MD) is membrane wetting resistance induced by pollutants in the feed solution. The proposed solution for this issue was to fabricate membranes with hydrophobic properties. Hydrophobic electrospun Poly (vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) (PVDF-HFP) nanofibers membranes were produced for brine t...

Multilayer ceramic membranes to be used for bacteria removal by filtration were prepared from ceramic materials. They consist of a macro-porous carrier, an intermediate layer and a thin separation layer at the top. Tubular and flat disc supports were prepared from silica sand and calcite (natural raw materials), using extrusion and uniaxial pressin...

Pervaporation (PV) is one of the distinctive membrane separation processes harnessed for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) removal from water. The process is characterized by low cost, ease of installation, lack of chemicals, and operation at moderate temperatures. PV is part of a chain of water treatment processes and has eminent efficiency for po...

In membrane-based water purification technology, control of the membrane pore structure is fundamental to defining its performance. The present study investigates the effect of the preparation conditions on the final pore size distribution and on the dye removal efficiency of cellulose acetate membranes. The membranes were fabricated by means of ph...

The demand for sustainable and eco-friendly production and treatment of pharmaceuticals in relation to water is a significant challenge for environmental safety. The pharmaceuticals industry consumes a considerable amount of fresh water and discharges wastewater contaminated with organic and inorganic hazardous molecules, which can be toxic to the...

This chapter focuses on electrospun membranes produced by the electrospinning process for air filtration applications. Air pollution, above all in metropolitan and highly populated cities, can be characterized by particulate (PM2.5 and PM0.1) or gaseous pollutants that can be captured by different mechanisms employing electrospun membranes. The fil...

Membrane capacitive deionization (MCDI) has shown many advances, however, its performance in combination with other treatment technologies has not been widely reported. In this study, a pilot-scale low-pressure reverse osmosis (LPRO) (FilmTec™ XLE-2540) with MCDI (CapDI© C17, Voltea) was developed and tested as a promising modular desalination syst...

Membrane bioreactor (MBR) technology has attracted great attention over the last 3 decades and achieved rapid growth in an increasing number of practical small‐ and large‐scale applications worldwide. However, its application in Sub-Saharan Africa as well as in aquaculture was so far limited. The installation and operation of a pilot membrane biore...

To develop easy-to-implement and low-energy water treatment plants, pilot trials for groundwater desalination and arsenic removal were carried out at the Mekong Delta in Vietnam. Desalination was conducted by membrane capacitive deionization (MCDI), which can show low specific energy consumption (SEC) compared to other desalination technologies. An...

The Chinese pharmaceutical industry and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) are both vital components of Chinese culture. Some traditional methods used to prepare TCMs have lost their conformity, and as a result, are producing lower-quality medicines. In this regard, the TCM sector has been looking for new ways to boost productivity and product qual...

Fluoropolymer membranes are applied in membrane operations such as membrane distillation and membrane crystallization where hydrophobic porous membranes act as a physical barrier separating two phases. Due to their hydrophobic nature, only gaseous molecules are allowed to pass through the membrane and are collected on the permeate side, while the a...

Preparation of tungsten oxide (WO 2.89) NPs immobilized PES matrix.  Antifouling performance was evaluated against tinzaparin sodium.  Further enhancement was noticed after exposing the membranes to UV irradiation. One of the polymeric membranes' main limitations is their susceptibility to fouling, lowering the membrane's performance with time. T...

Air pollution is one of the major environmental concerns in most highly populated cities, which is typically caused by particulate (PM2.5 and PM0.1) or gaseous pollutants. In this framework, membranes produced by the electrospinning technique are attracting more and more interest thanks to their peculiar properties such as interconnected pore struc...

In recent years, the environmental pollution caused by micro/nanoplastics (MNPs) has increased. As a result of their negative impact on human health and the environment, MNPs have emerged as new scientific challenges. However, there are still some inconclusive findings. In this perspective, we analyze the traditional membrane performance that is th...

This work deals with the utilization of the poly(lactic acid) (PLA) to fabricate biopolymer membranes by phase inversion technique for the treatment of gaseous streams rich in CO2 and CH4. PLA is an excellent biopolymer constituting a viable option to most of the traditional fossil-based polymers, possessing zero environmental impact once exhausted...

In this work, innovative graphene oxide–doped waterproofing bituminous membranes, also called roof bituminous membranes, were prepared and characterized in terms of physicochemical and vapor transport properties. The results showed that the introduction of a small amount of GO increased the mechanical resistance of the doped membranes compared to t...

The aim of this research is to study the effect of silica gel and montmorillonite clay (maghnite), oftenused as adsorbents in chemical applications, on the structure of hybrid poly(vinylidene fluoride)(PVDF) membranes. The membranes were synthesized using the precipitation-phase inversion method. In order to recognize the different structural chang...

In the present work, polyethersulfone/polyacrylonitrile (PES/PAN) blended electrospun nanofiber-based membrane was fabricated and applied for an environmentally friendly protocol for removing methylene blue (MB) from aqueous solutions. The structural integrity of the newly synthesized membrane was investigated by SEM, FTIR, TGA and XRD, demonstrati...

In this work, we explored a scale-up procedure to non-commercially available or expensive dialkyl carbonates via transcarbonylation reaction of an alcohol with dimethyl carbonate promoted by 1,5,7-triazabicyclo[4.4.0]dec-5-ene (TBD). DACs selected for this study include symmetrical and unsymmetrical compounds incorporating alkyl, alkoxyalkyl, amino...

Using an environmentally friendly approach for eliminating methylene blue from an aqueous solution, the authors developed a unique electrospun nanofiber membrane made of a combination of polyethersulfone and hydroxypropyl cellulose (PES/HPC). SEM results confirmed the formation of a uniformly sized nanofiber membrane with an ultrathin diameter of 1...

In this work, Eucommia ulmoides leaf extract (EUOLstabilized silver nanoparticles (EUOL@AgNPs) incorporated sulfonated polyether sulfone (SPES)/polyethersulfone (PES) electrospun nanofiber membranes (SP ENMs) were prepared by electrospinning, and they were studied for the removal of lead (Pb(II)) and cadmium (Cd(II)) ions from aqueous solutions. Th...

Membrane distillation (MD), as a hybrid desalination technology with super-hydrophobic characteristics, has been emerging in the recent year. In this contest, the outstanding features of carbon-based nanomaterials have promising potential to contribute to the MD process evolution. This work presented an endeavor to impart the super-hydrophobic feat...

Crystalline aquifers are layered systems in which the hydrogeological path of waters extends from highly weathered, shallow and porous rocks to poorly weathered, deep and fissured rocks. This varying hydrogeological setting influences the water chemistry in different ways. The paper aims to reconstruct the water-rock interaction process in these va...

Endowing anti‐fouling capabilities to water treatment membranes is a key feature for their long lifetime, but it continues to be a challenging task. Herein, a strategy for preparing composite membranes is reported comprising halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) as scaffolds to support a ruthenium substituted polyoxometalate (Ru4POM), with the goal of using...

Pervaporation (PV) has been known a rapid growth in the last 20 years as a valid membrane process, over other conventional techniques, for the recovery of aroma compounds from agro-food systems. PV is based on the use of non-porous membranes which selectively regulate the transport of target molecules dissolved in a liquid feed mixture. PV is parti...

Membrane distillation (MD), as a hybrid desalination technology with super-hydrophobic characteristics, has been emerging in the recent year. In this contest, the outstanding features of carbon-based nanomaterials have promising potential to contribute to the MD process evolution. This work presented an endeavor to impart the super-hydrophobic feat...

Deep eutectic solvents (DESs) and natural deep eutectic solvents (NADESs, derived from natural-source molecules) were used for the first time in the preparation of porous poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) and poly(acrylonitrile) (PAN) membranes. Halogen-free Brønsted acidic DES and zwitterionic carboxy- and sulfo-betaines DESs and NADESs were select...

The purification of phycocyanin (PC) from Spirulina generally involves a combination of different techniques. Here, we report the results on PC yields from a combined aqueous extraction-ultrafiltration (UF) process of a strain of Arthrospira maxima cultivated in a farm devoted to producing PC with food-grade purity. Samples optimized from different...

This work reported a new perspective on improving the incorporation of nanoparticles(NPs) into membranes for several applications. Composite membranes were produced via the phase inversion method using cellulose acetate (CA) as the polymer, mixed with four different NPs: ZnO and Fe 3 O 4 NPs were prepared by the co-precipitation method, while SiO 2...

A membrane can be defined as a selective barrier which separates two phases, regulating the transport of various chemical species between the two compartments. Specifically, it is possible to distinguish homogeneous or heterogeneous membranes, with symmetric or asymmetric structure or again they may be positive or negative superficial charges, etc....

The application of polymeric membranes containing nanomaterials (NMs) represents an interesting and advanced approach to preparing tailored membranes and overcoming the biofouling problems. The presence of the NMs in the polymeric matrix allows getting over some membrane limitations as fouling, microbial growth, flux reduction, and lower lifetime....