3D printed MOF-based mixed matrix thin-film composite membranes.

MOF-based mixed-matrix membranes (MMMs) have attracted considerable attention due to their tremendous separation performance and facile processability. In large-scale applications such as CO separation from flue gas, it is necessary to have high gas permeance, which can be achieved using thin membranes. However, there are only a handful of MOF MMMs that are fabricated in the form of thin-film composite (TFC) membranes.

Crystalline 2D Covalent Organic Framework Membranes for High-Flux Organic Solvent Nanofiltration.

Two-dimensional (2D) covalent organic framework (COF) materials have the most suitable microstructure for membrane applications in order to achieve both high flux and high selectivity. Here, we report the synthesis of a crystalline TFP-DHF 2D COF membrane constructed from two precursors of 1,3,5-triformylphloroglucinol (TFP) and 9,9-dihexylfluorene-2,7-diamine (DHF) through the Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) method, for the first timed. A single COF layer is precisely four unit cells thick and can be transferred to different support surfaces layer by layer.

Functional Two-Dimensional Coordination Polymeric Layer as a Charge Barrier in Li-S Batteries.

Ultrathin two-dimensional (2D) polymeric layers are capable of separating gases and molecules based on the reported size exclusion mechanism. What is equally important but missing today is an exploration of the 2D layers with charge functionality, which enables applications using the charge exclusion principle. This work demonstrates a simple and scalable method of synthesizing a free-standing 2D coordination polymer Zn(benzimidazolate)(OH) at the air-water interface.

Soluble Polymers with Intrinsic Porosity for Flue Gas Purification and Natural Gas Upgrading.

A soluble polymer with intrinsic microporosity, 2,4-diamino-1,3,5-triazine-functionalized organic polymer, is used for the first time as a solid adsorbent, providing an easy solution to overcome the fouling issue. Promising adsorption performances including good CO adsorption capacity, excellent CO /N and CO /CH selectivities, high chemical and thermal stabilities, and easiness of preparation and regeneration are shown.

Water harvesting using a conducting polymer: a study by molecular dynamics simulation.

The results of extensive molecular simulations of adsorption and diffusion of water vapor in polyaniline, made conducting by doping it with HCl or HBr over a broad range of temperatures, are reported. The atomistic model of the polymers was generated using energy minimization, equilibrium molecular dynamics simulations, and two different force fields. The computed sorption isotherms are in excellent agreement with the experimental data.

Molecular dynamics simulation of diffusion and sorption of water in conducting polyaniline.

Energy minimization and molecular dynamics simulations are used to develop, for the first time, atomistic models of HCl- and HBr-doped conducting polyanilines, in order to study diffusion and adsorption of water vapor in the polymers. Various morphological properties of the polymers are computed, including their pair correlation functions that are found to be in good agreement with the experimental data, and their accessible free volumes. Also computed are the sorption isotherms and effective self-diffusivity of water vapor in the polymers.