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Ion and Molecule Sieving through Highly Stable Graphene-Based Laminar Membranes
Gang Yuan1, Yu Jiang1, Xiao Wang1
1State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials (iChEM), College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, P. R. China.
The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters
|February 23, 2023
Summary
Artificial membranes mimic biological ion channels for precise nanoscale separations. Graphene-based membranes with amino groups control channel size, enabling selective permeation of small ions and molecules.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Nanotechnology
- Chemical Engineering
Background:
- Biological ion channels achieve high selectivity by precisely controlling channel size and interior chemistry.
- Artificial membranes face challenges in replicating this nanoscale control for selective ion and molecule permeation.
- Graphene-based materials offer a promising platform for creating advanced separation membranes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To engineer artificial membranes with precise nanoscale control over channel size and interior.
- To investigate the permeation of ions and molecules through engineered graphene-based laminar membranes.
- To understand the mechanisms governing selective transport in artificial nanochannels.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of graphene-based laminar membranes with amino-decorated channel walls.
- Characterization of channel structure, stability, and water intercalation.
- Measurement of ion and molecule permeation and selectivity using various species.
- Analysis of electrical interactions between solutes and channel walls.
Main Results:
- Amino groups on channel walls form stable hydrogen-bonded water networks, precisely controlling channel size.
- The membranes effectively reject solutes with hydration diameters greater than 10 Å.
- High selectivities, up to a few thousand, were achieved for small species permeation.
- Permeation selectivity is governed by distinct electrical interactions dependent on solute-channel distance.
Conclusions:
- Graphene-based laminar membranes with amino functionalization provide precise nanoscale control over channel properties.
- These engineered membranes demonstrate efficient sieving of large molecules and selective permeation of small species.
- The findings offer critical insights for designing advanced nanomaterials for enhanced separation performance.
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