Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 10, 2026
08:42
Microfluidic-based Synthesis of Covalent Organic Frameworks (COFs): A Tool for Continuous Production of COF Fibers and Direct Printing on a Surface
Published on: July 10, 2017
Two-Dimensional Covalent Organic Framework Membranes: Multi-Scale Design and Forward-Looking Perspectives
Sheng Yuan1, Shilin Guo1, Teng Liu1
1Key Laboratory for Green Chemical Technology of Ministry of Education, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China.
Advanced Materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.)
|May 9, 2026
Summary
Two-dimensional covalent organic framework (2D COF) membranes offer tunable nanochannels for advanced separations. This review outlines a multiscale design framework to accelerate their development for environmental and energy applications.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Nanotechnology
- Chemical Engineering
Background:
- Two-dimensional covalent organic frameworks (2D COFs) are promising membrane materials.
- Their well-defined nanochannels, designability, stability, and synthesis routes drive interest.
Purpose of the Study:
- To establish a multiscale design framework for advancing 2D COF membranes.
- To summarize progress and challenges in 2D COF membrane applications.
Main Methods:
- Systematic discussion of engineering principles from molecular design to macroscopic processing.
- Review of recent advancements in 2D COF membrane applications.
- Identification of challenges and a roadmap for industrial deployment.
Main Results:
- A comprehensive overview of molecular-scale design, crystallinity control, and membrane processing.
- Highlighting applications in gas separation, liquid purification, ion sieving, and energy storage.
- Proposing strategies to bridge lab innovations with industrial use.
Conclusions:
- Multiscale design principles are crucial for rational development of 2D COF membranes.
- Addressing challenges will facilitate the deployment of 2D COF membranes in environmental and energy sectors.
Related Concept Videos
00:59Mechanisms of Membrane Domain Formation
Different physical properties of lipids and proteins allow them to localize and form distinct islands or domains in the membrane. Some membrane domains are formed due to protein-protein interactions, whereas others are formed due to the presence of specific lipids such as sphingolipids and sterols—for example, large proteins, such as bacteriorhodopsin, aggregate and create distinct domains.
Another mechanism for membrane domain formation involves membrane proteins interacting with cytoskeletal...
Another mechanism for membrane domain formation involves membrane proteins interacting with cytoskeletal...
01:26Membrane Fluidity
Membrane fluidity is explained by the fluid mosaic model of the cell membrane, which describes the plasma membrane structure as a mosaic of components—including phospholipids, cholesterol, proteins, and carbohydrates—that gives the membrane a fluid character.
Mosaic nature of the membrane
The mosaic characteristic of the membrane helps the plasma membrane remain fluid. The integral proteins and lipids exist as separate but loosely-attached molecules in the membrane. The membrane is a relatively...
Mosaic nature of the membrane
The mosaic characteristic of the membrane helps the plasma membrane remain fluid. The integral proteins and lipids exist as separate but loosely-attached molecules in the membrane. The membrane is a relatively...
01:23Membrane Fluidity
Cell membranes are composed of phospholipids, proteins, and carbohydrates loosely attached to one another through chemical interactions. Molecules are generally able to move about in the plane of the membrane, giving the membrane its flexible nature called fluidity. Two other features of the membrane contribute to membrane fluidity: the chemical structure of the phospholipids and the presence of cholesterol in the membrane.
01:15Mechanisms of Membrane-bending
The living membranes are flexible due to their fluid mosaic nature; however, their bending into different shapes is an active process regulated by specific lipids and proteins. The membrane bending can be transient as seen in vesicles or stable for a long time as in microvilli. Cells regulate the size, location, and duration of the membrane curvature.
Membrane bending can happen due to intrinsic changes in lipid composition or extrinsic association with different proteins. The proteins involved...
Membrane bending can happen due to intrinsic changes in lipid composition or extrinsic association with different proteins. The proteins involved...
01:19Fluid Mosaic Model
Scientists identified the plasma membrane in the 1890s and its principal chemical components (lipids and proteins) by 1915. The model for plasma membrane structure, proposed in 1935 by Hugh Davson and James Danielli, was the first model to be widely accepted in the scientific community. The model was based on the plasma membrane's "railroad track" appearance in early electron micrographs. Davson and Danielli theorized that the plasma membrane's structure resembled a sandwich with the analogy of...