Abstract
Membrane distillation (MD) enables water purification under moderate conditions but relies heavily on fluorinated, non-biodegradable membranes, which raise serious environmental concerns. This Review evaluates four categories of eco-friendly bio-based polymers for MD, linking physicochemical properties, thermal stability, and degradability to operational performance. Comparative analysis under practical conditions highlights relationships between polymer degradability, process stability, water flux, salt rejection, and ecological impact, while identifying key challenges for large-scale adoption.
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M.B. is the guest editor of Materials Degradation Journal/Degradation of Non-metal Materials Collection. M.B. was not involved in the journal’s review of, or decisions related to, this manuscript. All the authors declare no competing financial or non-financial interests.
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Mansi, A.E., Bassyouni, M., Mahroogi, F.O. et al. Eco-friendly polymers in liquid-repelling membranes: a review of material characteristics, stability, degradability, and performance.
npj Mater Degrad (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41529-026-00855-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41529-026-00855-z
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