Issue 2, 2018

Functionally graded membranes from nanoporous covalent organic frameworks for highly selective water permeation

Abstract

Natural materials are often arranged in intricate gradient architectures to implement specific functionalities. Implanting such an exquisite prototype into synthetic membranes remains a grand challenge in real-world applications. In this study, functionally graded membranes are fabricated through a surface segregation method using 2D nanoporous COF TpHZ and poly(ether sulfone) as composite building blocks. During the membrane formation, the COF nanosheets can spontaneously migrate from the membrane bulk to the membrane surface to form a gradient distribution, which can be varied by manipulating the COF addition content and phase inversion temperature. The highest COF content on the membrane surface can be up to 50.90 vol%. Due to the formation of a graded structure, the membranes are endowed with remarkably increased hydrophilicity and free volume characteristics. Accordingly, the optimized membrane exhibits a permeation flux of 2.48 kg m−2 h−1 and a high separation factor of 1430, and remains robust during a stability test for 320 h, and is one of the most efficient mixed matrix membranes for water/ethanol separation. The separation factor is two orders of magnitude more than that of existing commercial membranes. The concept of functionally graded membranes can be applicable to the development of a broad range of high-performance materials.

Graphical abstract: Functionally graded membranes from nanoporous covalent organic frameworks for highly selective water permeation

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
31 Oct 2017
Accepted
04 Dec 2017
First published
04 Dec 2017

J. Mater. Chem. A, 2018,6, 583-591

Functionally graded membranes from nanoporous covalent organic frameworks for highly selective water permeation

H. Yang, H. Wu, Z. Yao, B. Shi, Z. Xu, X. Cheng, F. Pan, G. Liu, Z. Jiang and X. Cao, J. Mater. Chem. A, 2018, 6, 583 DOI: 10.1039/C7TA09596A

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements