Tracing the Evolution of Membrane Technologies in Gas Separation: From Materials to Models

Membrane technology has emerged as a cornerstone of modern gas separation, evolving significantly from its early stages to meet the growing global demand for energy-efficient, selective, and scalable separation processes. This Research Topic aims to provide a comprehensive and interdisciplinary perspective on the historical progression, current state, and future direction of membrane technologies applied to gas separation.

The development journey of gas separation membranes spans a diverse range of materials and configurations -including polymeric membranes, mixed matrix membranes (MMMs), and inorganic membranes such as ceramic, metallic, graphene oxide (GO), carbon-based, and other two-dimensional (2D) materials. These advancements have been fueled by innovations in materials science, fabrication techniques, and theoretical understanding, including modeling and simulation tools. Key breakthroughs - such as high-performance PIMs, zeolite-supported membranes, cobalt-doped microporous silica, and novel hybrid membranes - have led to notable improvements in permeability, selectivity, thermal and hydrothermal stability, and mechanical durability.

This Research Topic seeks to critically examine the historical milestones that have shaped the field and explore how these foundational developments continue to influence current innovations. Furthermore, we encourage contributions that not only review material evolution but also highlight process intensification approaches, predictive modeling frameworks, optimization studies, techno-economic evaluations, and life cycle assessments, providing a holistic view of the field’s trajectory.

By bringing together a wide spectrum of research, from empirical to theoretical, this Research Topic will guide ongoing efforts to address current challenges such as membrane degradation, upscaling for industrial application, and integration with emerging energy and carbon management systems.

We welcome original research, reviews, case studies, and perspective articles that explore, but are not limited to, the following themes:

· Historical evolution and key milestones in gas separation membranes
· Progression of polymeric, inorganic, hybrid, and mixed matrix membranes (MMMs)
· Structure–property relationships and material innovations for enhanced performance
· Strategies for improving hydrothermal and chemical stability of membranes
· Novel fabrication techniques and scalable membrane configurations
· Membrane reactor development and integration with gas separation units
· Multiscale modeling, simulation, and optimization of gas separation processes
· AI-and machine-learning-assisted membrane design, prediction, and process optimization
· Techno-economic analysis and life cycle assessment (LCA) of membrane systems
· Future directions for sustainable, cost-effective, and high-efficiency gas separation technologies

This Research Topic aims to bridge the gap between past achievements and future possibilities, creating a valuable resource for researchers, engineers, and policy-makers working on advanced membrane-based gas separation technologies.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• Mini Review
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• Mini Review
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review

Keywords: Membrane technology, gas separation, historical evolution, composite materials, separation efficiency, hydrothermal stability

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.