Environmental applications and performance engineering of COF membranes prepared by interfacial polymerization

This review provides a comprehensive overview of the interfacial polymerization methods for the preparation of covalent organic framework (COF) membranes and their applications and performance optimization in environmental fields. With the increasing global consumption of resources and energy, the development of low-energy and high-efficiency separation technologies has become an urgent need. COF membranes, with their highly ordered pore structures, uniform pore sizes, and high porosity, show great potential in molecular sieving and ion-selective separation. Interfacial polymerization, as a low-cost and continuous method for COF membrane preparation, has significant advantages. This article details the methods of interfacial polymerization for COF membrane preparation via liquid-liquid, vapor-liquid, solid-liquid, and vapor-solid interfaces, discusses the pros and cons of each method, and summarizes the performance optimization strategies of interfacial polymerized COF membranes in applications such as organic pollutant removal, desalination, dye separation, and gas separation. Finally, the existing problems in current research and future research directions are pointed out, including improving the crystallinity and pore size control accuracy of COF membranes, enhancing membrane processability and mechanical properties, in-depth study of membrane stability, and developing multifunctional COF membranes, to promote the industrial application and sustainable development of COF membrane technology.