Advances in carbon nanomembranes for separation: from free-standing films to composite structures

Abstract

This work reviews the development and application potential of carbon nanomembranes (CNMs) especially for separation purposes, starting from self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) as a representative pre-stage of CNMs to their evolution into composite membranes. SAMs form spontaneously on surfaces through intrinsic chemical functionalities, providing the basis for advanced 2-dimensional materials. The transition from SAMs to CNMs involves electron irradiation-induced crosslinking, producing robust, free-standing molecular thin sheets with high resistance to wet etching and customizable functionalities. To enhance mechanical robustness, ease of handling, and scalability, CNM-composite membranes are fabricated by combining CNMs directly with porous support materials like track-etched polyethylene terephthalate (TE-PET) paving the way for future industrial applications.

Graphical abstract: Advances in carbon nanomembranes for separation: from free-standing films to composite structures

Article information

Article type
Minireview
Submitted
20 Kax 2024
Accepted
06 Qas 2025
First published
08 Qad 2025
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY license

Nanoscale, 2025, Advance Article

Advances in carbon nanomembranes for separation: from free-standing films to composite structures

A. Ambrož, A. Schnieders, C. Hélix-Nielsen, A. Gölzhäuser and I. Petrinić, Nanoscale, 2025, Advance Article , DOI: 10.1039/D4NR05361C

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