Precisely Tunable Ion Sieving with an Al-TiCT Lamellar Membrane by Controlling Interlayer Spacing.

Two-dimensional (2D) membranes exhibit exceptional properties in molecular separation and transport, which reveals their potential use in various applications. However, ion sieving with 2D membranes is severely restrained due to intercalation-induced swelling. Here, we describe how to efficiently stabilize the lamellar architecture using Keggin Al polycations as pillars in a TiCT membrane.

Ion sieving by a two-dimensional TiCT alginate lamellar membrane with stable interlayer spacing.

Two-dimensional membranes attract extensive interest due to the anomalous transport phenomena; however, the ion separation performance is below the theoretical prediction. The stabilization of d-spacing is a key step for enhancing ion selectivity. Here, we demonstrate a strategy for stabilizing the TiCT laminar architecture by alginate hydrogel pillars.