Large-area, self-healing block copolymer membranes for energy conversion.

Membranes are widely used for separation processes in applications such as water desalination, batteries and dialysis, and are crucial in key sectors of our economy and society. The majority of technologically exploited membranes are based on solid polymers and function as passive barriers, whose transport characteristics are governed by their chemical composition and nanostructure. Although such membranes are ubiquitous, it has proved challenging to maximize selectivity and permeability independently, leading to trade-offs between these pertinent characteristics.