BIO-INSPIRED SELF-HEALING POLYELECTROLYTE MEMBRANES FOR SUSTAINABLE DESALINATION AND ION SEPARATION: A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW
- Authors
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Manal Afham Toma
College of Chemical Engineering, University of Technology, Baghdad, Iraq
Author
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- Keywords:
- Self-healing membranes; Polyelectrolyte multilayers; Catechol chemistry; Layer-by-layer assembly; Ion separation; Nanofiltration; Review.
- Abstract
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Advancements in smart separation systems have resulted in long-lasting membranes for desalination and water treatment. Unfortunately, polymeric membranes are still susceptible to gradual physical and chemical degradation, which can compromise their separation performance. In nature, organisms have developed strategies to repair damage and ensure survival. The discovery of bio-inspired self-healing polymers has impacted diverse research fields, including polymer science, nanotechnology and biomedicine. This novel approach enables polymeric membranes to autonomously recover and restore lost functionality and therefore offers a viable pathway to improving sustainability in water treatment applications [1,2]. Fundamental research can be carried out to ascertain whether several intelligent self-healing mechanisms can be controlled to produce membranes for water treatment that can recover ion selectivity as well as their inherent mechanical properties after severe physical and chemical degradation.
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- Published
- 2026-06-09
- Issue
- Vol. 2 No. 6 (2026)
- Section
- Articles
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Copyright (c) 2026 Manal Afham Toma (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
