Emerging Talents in Membrane Science and Technology

We present the Frontiers in Membrane Science and Technology “Emerging Talents in” article collection, a series dedicated to highlighting emerging talents across the field of synthetic membrane science and engineering.Early career researchers bring fresh ideas and high-impact advances—often at the intersection of materials, transport science, and process engineering—yet can face real barriers to visibility in a competitive publishing landscape. Through this initiative, the Editors aim to provide a platform that showcases innovative work, recognizes the dedication behind it, and helps emerging researchers build connections across the membrane community. By creating space for these perspectives to be shared, the current Research Topic seeks to encourage the next generation of membrane scientists and engineers, enabling them to make a meaningful impact and helping the community identify future leaders in the field.The research proposed here highlights the quality and diversity of early career contributions spanning membrane materials, fabrication, characterization, modelling, module design, and application-driven performance studies. We welcome contributions in the form of original research, reviews, mini-reviews, perspectives, methods papers, as well as both experimental and computational studies that cover, but are not limited to, the following themes:- Membrane materials and architectures (polymeric, inorganic, hybrid, mixed-matrix, composite, thin-film, asymmetric, nanostructured)- Membrane formation and structure control (interfacial polymerization, phase inversion, coating strategies, additive manufacturing, defect mitigation, stability and aging)- Membrane transport and selectivity (sorption–diffusion, pore-flow, facilitated transport, coupled transport, structure–property–performance relationships)- Modelling and simulation (multiscale modelling, transport modelling, CFD-informed module design, data-driven and AI/ML-assisted membrane discovery)- Modules and processes (spiral-wound, hollow fiber, flat-sheet; process intensification; concentration polarization; scale-up considerations)- Fouling, scaling, and cleaning strategies (mechanistic studies, mitigation approaches, realistic feed streams, long-term performance)- Liquid applications (desalination, water reuse, wastewater treatment, micropollutant removal, resource recovery, solvent/water separations)- Gas and vapor separations (CO₂ capture, hydrogen purification, hydrocarbon separations, dehydration, VOC capture)- Energy-related membrane technologies (battery separators and safety, redox-flow systems, electrolyzers and fuel cells, ion-exchange membranes)- Sustainability and implementation (techno-economic analysis, life-cycle assessment, durability, manufacturability, circularity and end-of-life)Submissions should emphasize novelty, sound methodology, and clear positioning against the state of the art, with membrane materials research ideally linked to demonstrated application performance (lab-scale or beyond) or robust validation via modelling. We particularly welcome works that support the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), notably SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation) and SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), and related goals in sustainable industry and responsible consumption.Frontiers in Membrane Science and Technology focuses on synthetic membranes. Manuscripts centered on biological membranes are not suitable for this collection.Please note: To be considered for this collection, the first and/or co-first author, or last author should be undergraduate students, graduate students, or early career researchers who received their PhD no later than two years before the time of submission. Topic editors: Xiujuan Chen Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/80227/emerging-talents-in-membrane-science-and-technology