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Molecular Sieving Across Centimeter-Scale Single-Layer Nanoporous Graphene Membranes
Michael S H Boutilier1, Doojoon Jang1, Juan-Carlos Idrobo2
1Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology , 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States.
ACS Nano
|June 14, 2017
Summary
Atomically thin nanoporous graphene membranes achieve superior gas separation by molecular sieving. This breakthrough overcomes leakage issues, paving the way for high-performance graphene-based separation technologies.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Chemical Engineering
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Atomically thin nanoporous graphene membranes offer theoretical advantages for gas separation over conventional membranes.
- Leakage through defects in microscale graphene membranes hinders practical application and scalability.
- Achieving high densities of selective pores over macroscopic areas remains a significant challenge.
Purpose of the Study:
- To design and fabricate centimeter-scale nanoporous graphene membranes capable of effective molecular sieving.
- To address and mitigate leakage issues caused by nonselective defects in graphene membranes.
- To demonstrate gas separation performance exceeding conventional benchmarks and theoretical limits.
Main Methods:
- Multiscale gas transport modeling was employed to guide the design of the porous support structure.
- Subnanometer pores were fabricated in graphene using ion bombardment and oxygen plasma etching.
- Gas permeance measurements were conducted to evaluate membrane selectivity and performance.
Main Results:
- Nanoporous graphene membranes exhibited selectivity exceeding the Knudsen effusion ratio.
- Selectivity was observed to scale with the kinetic diameter of gas molecules, confirming molecular sieving.
- The performance of the fabricated membranes met or surpassed the Robeson limit for polymeric membranes.
Conclusions:
- Centimeter-scale nanoporous graphene membranes demonstrate effective molecular sieving for gas separations.
- The developed fabrication strategy successfully minimizes leakage through defects.
- Nanoporous graphene membranes show significant potential for advanced gas separation applications.
