Abstract
Modern analytical techniques involve complex sample preparation and separation, which are usually considered the limiting steps. Given this scenario, developing next-generation membranes has become of interest to the scientific community, and several investigations have been conducted to make membranes a potential alternative to traditional procedures. The advantages of membranes lie in their simplicity, cost-effectiveness, and easy installation. Considering these facts, this chapter presents a detailed overview of the membrane types, synthesis methods, and transport mechanisms used in analytical chemistry, followed by a comprehensive review of the state-of-the-art and potential applications of membranes in analytical chemistry-related applications. These applications include gas-diffusion methods, dialysis, membrane filtration, membrane extraction, electrodialysis, chromato-membrane methods (chromatography), sensors, mass spectrometry, flow injection analysis, capillary electrophoresis, solvent extraction, pervaporation, and solid-phase extraction. Finally, a review of the challenges and opportunities in employing membrane-based separation in analytical techniques for environmental pollutants is also presented.