This book explores the growing role of catalysts and catalytic materials in desalination and advanced water treatment. It brings together developments in heterogeneous catalysis, advanced oxidation, photocatalysis, electrocatalysis, nanomaterials, and functionalized membranes for the removal of persistent and emerging contaminants.

The book covers metal-oxide catalysts, carbon-based and biomass-derived nanomaterials, biochar, and other catalytic systems, alongside hollow-fiber, flat-sheet, ion-exchange, and nanomaterial-modified membranes. It examines their applications in contaminant degradation and separation, membrane fouling control, selective transport, and desalination.

By connecting advances in catalysis with membrane-based water treatment, the book offers an interdisciplinary resource for researchers and professionals in desalination, water purification, environmental engineering, catalysis, membrane technology, and nanomaterials.

Swatantra Pratap Singh is an environmental engineer with expertise in membrane science and engineering, environmental nanotechnology, desalination, wastewater treatment, resource recovery, electrochemical systems, and advanced materials for sustainable water treatment. He is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Environmental Science and Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay, India. He also serves as the Convenor of the DST Centre of Excellence on Membrane Technologies for Desalination, Brine Management and Water Recycling (DesaltM), Professor-in-Charge of the Gogri Hub for Membrane Translational Research, and Secretary of the Indian Membrane Society. His research has led to the development of several innovative membrane fabrication technologies, including laser-induced graphene and electroconductive membranes for water purification, pollutant degradation, and resource recovery. He has developed pioneering single-step laser-assisted graphene printing techniques and advanced membrane platforms with applications in desalination, wastewater recycling, and electrochemical water treatment. Singh is the inventor of four US patents on membrane fabrication and laser-based graphene technologies and holds 20 national and international patents, including 13 granted patents. He has authored more than 88 peer-reviewed journal articles, 31 book chapters, and edited six scientific books. His outstanding contributions to membrane science and environmental engineering have been recognized through several prestigious awards, including the INAE Young Engineer Award (2020), ISEES Young Scientist Award (2020), IIT Bombay Early Research Achiever Award (2024), and the Professor Krithi Ramamritham Award (2024).

Nitin Kumar Labhasetwar is currently a Professor of Practice at SIRAC, Somaiya Vidyavihar University, Mumbai, India. Previously, he served as Chief Scientist and Head of the Energy and Resource Management Division at CSIR–National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (CSIR–NEERI), Nagpur, India, and as a Professor at the Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR). He is an internationally recognized researcher with over three decades of experience in environmental catalysis, advanced materials, nanotechnology, water treatment, air pollution control, carbon capture, and sustainable energy technologies. His research has significantly contributed to the development of catalytic materials, nanomaterials, adsorbents, and advanced membrane-based systems for environmental applications. Labhasetwar has published more than 150 research articles, authored nine book chapters, and holds 41 national and international patents. He is a Fellow of the International Society for Energy, Environment and Sustainability and has received several prestigious national and international awards in recognition of his outstanding contributions to environmental science and engineering. His current research and innovation activities focus on advancing sustainable technologies for environmental protection, resource recovery, and clean energy applications.