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Updated: Jun 7, 2026

Layer-by-layer Synthesis and Transfer of Freestanding Conjugated Microporous Polymer Nanomembranes
Published on: December 15, 2015
An ionic ultramicroporous polymer with engineered nanopores enables enhanced acetylene/carbon dioxide separation
Asif Raza1, Sousa Javan Nikkhah1, Lilia Croitor1
1Department of Chemical Sciences, Bernal Institute and Research Ireland Centre for Pharmaceuticals (SSPC), University of Limerick, Limerick V94 T9PX, Ireland. Matthias.Vandichel@ul.ie.
Abstract:
A nanopore engineering approach enhances acetylene (C2H2) over carbon dioxide (CO2) selectivity in ionic ultramicroporous polymers (IUPs), an understudied class of sorbents. Extending the cationic arm of a prototypical IUP nearly doubles its C2H2/CO2 selectivity from 4.9 to 8.5 (at 298 K, 1 bar), underpinned by further observations from dynamic separation experiments and bespoke computational insights.

