1
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Hoenig E, Han Y, Xu K, Li J, Wang M, Liu C. In situ generation of (sub) nanometer pores in MoS 2 membranes for ion-selective transport. Nat Commun 2024; 15:7911. [PMID: 39256368 PMCID: PMC11387774 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-52109-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2023] [Accepted: 08/27/2024] [Indexed: 09/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Ion selective membranes are fundamental components of biological, energy, and computing systems. The fabrication of solid-state ultrathin membranes that can separate ions of similar size and the same charge with both high selectivity and permeance remains a challenge, however. Here, we present a method, utilizing the application of a remote electric field, to fabricate a high-density of (sub)nm pores in situ. This method takes advantage of the grain boundaries in few-layer polycrystalline MoS2 to enable the synthesis of nanoporous membranes with average pore size tunable from <1 to ~4 nm in diameter (with in situ pore expansion resolution of ~0.2 nm2 s-1). These membranes demonstrate selective transport of monovalent ions (K+, Na+ and Li+) as well as divalent ions (Mg2+ and Ca2+), outperforming existing two-dimensional material nanoporous membranes that display similar total permeance. We investigate the mechanism of selectivity using molecular dynamics simulations and unveil that the interactions between cations and the sluggish water confined to the pore, as well as cation-anion interactions, result in the different transport behaviors observed between ions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eli Hoenig
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Yu Han
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
| | - Kangli Xu
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
| | - Jingyi Li
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
| | - Mingzhan Wang
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
| | - Chong Liu
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA.
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2
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Guo L, Wu N, Zhang S, Zeng H, Yang J, Han X, Duan H, Liu Y, Wang L. Emerging Advances around Nanofluidic Transport and Mass Separation under Confinement in Atomically Thin Nanoporous Graphene. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2024:e2404087. [PMID: 39031097 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202404087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2024] [Revised: 07/07/2024] [Indexed: 07/22/2024]
Abstract
Membrane separation stands as an environmentally friendly, high permeance and selectivity, low energy demand process that deserves scientific investigation and industrialization. To address intensive demand, seeking appropriate membrane materials to surpass trade-off between permeability and selectivity and improve stability is on the schedule. 2D materials offer transformational opportunities and a revolutionary platform for researching membrane separation process. Especially, the atomically thin graphene with controllable porosity and structure, as well as unique properties, is widely considered as a candidate for membrane materials aiming to provide extreme stability, exponentially large selectivity combined with high permeability. Currently, it has shown promising opportunities to develop separation membranes to tackle bottlenecks of traditional membranes, and it has been of great interest for tremendously versatile applications such as separation, energy harvesting, and sensing. In this review, starting from transport mechanisms of separation, the material selection bank is narrowed down to nanoporous graphene. The study presents an enlightening overview of very recent developments in the preparation of atomically thin nanoporous graphene and correlates surface properties of such 2D nanoporous materials to their performance in critical separation applications. Finally, challenges related to modulation and manufacturing as well as potential avenues for performance improvements are also pointed out.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liping Guo
- National Key Laboratory of Advanced Micro and Nano Manufacture Technology, School of Integrated Circuits, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Integrated Circuits, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Ningran Wu
- National Key Laboratory of Advanced Micro and Nano Manufacture Technology, School of Integrated Circuits, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Integrated Circuits, Beijing, 100871, China
- Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies and Center for Nanochemistry, Beijing Science and Engineering Center for Nanocarbons, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
- Beijing Graphene Institute, Beijing, 100095, China
| | - Shengping Zhang
- National Key Laboratory of Advanced Micro and Nano Manufacture Technology, School of Integrated Circuits, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Integrated Circuits, Beijing, 100871, China
- Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies and Center for Nanochemistry, Beijing Science and Engineering Center for Nanocarbons, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
- Beijing Graphene Institute, Beijing, 100095, China
| | - Haiou Zeng
- National Key Laboratory of Advanced Micro and Nano Manufacture Technology, School of Integrated Circuits, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Integrated Circuits, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Jing Yang
- National Key Laboratory of Advanced Micro and Nano Manufacture Technology, School of Integrated Circuits, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Integrated Circuits, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Xiao Han
- National Key Laboratory of Advanced Micro and Nano Manufacture Technology, School of Integrated Circuits, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Integrated Circuits, Beijing, 100871, China
- Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies and Center for Nanochemistry, Beijing Science and Engineering Center for Nanocarbons, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
- Beijing Graphene Institute, Beijing, 100095, China
| | - Hongwei Duan
- National Key Laboratory of Advanced Micro and Nano Manufacture Technology, School of Integrated Circuits, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Integrated Circuits, Beijing, 100871, China
- Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies and Center for Nanochemistry, Beijing Science and Engineering Center for Nanocarbons, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Yuancheng Liu
- National Key Laboratory of Advanced Micro and Nano Manufacture Technology, School of Integrated Circuits, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Integrated Circuits, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Luda Wang
- National Key Laboratory of Advanced Micro and Nano Manufacture Technology, School of Integrated Circuits, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Integrated Circuits, Beijing, 100871, China
- Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies and Center for Nanochemistry, Beijing Science and Engineering Center for Nanocarbons, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
- Beijing Graphene Institute, Beijing, 100095, China
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3
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Zhou Z, Zhao K, Chi HY, Shen Y, Song S, Hsu KJ, Chevalier M, Shi W, Agrawal KV. Electrochemical-repaired porous graphene membranes for precise ion-ion separation. Nat Commun 2024; 15:4006. [PMID: 38740849 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-48419-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2023] [Accepted: 04/26/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024] Open
Abstract
The preparation of atom-thick porous lattice hosting Å-scale pores is attractive to achieve a large ion-ion selectivity in combination with a large ion flux. Graphene film is an ideal selective layer for this if high-precision pores can be incorporated, however, it is challenging to avoid larger non-selective pores at the tail-end of the pore size distribution which reduces ion-ion selectivity. Herein, we develop a strategy to overcome this challenge using an electrochemical repair strategy that successfully masks larger pores in large-area graphene. 10-nm-thick electropolymerized conjugated microporous polymer (CMP) layer is successfully deposited on graphene, thanks to a strong π-π interaction in these two materials. While the CMP layer itself is not selective, it effectively masks graphene pores, leading to a large Li+/Mg2+ selectivity from zero-dimensional pores reaching 300 with a high Li+ ion permeation rate surpassing the performance of reported materials for ion-ion separation. Overall, this scalable repair strategy enables the fabrication of monolayer graphene membranes with customizable pore sizes, limiting the contribution of nonselective pores, and offering graphene membranes a versatile platform for a broad spectrum of challenging separations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zongyao Zhou
- Laboratory of Advanced Separations (LAS), École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Sion, CH-1950, Switzerland
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150090, P. R. China
| | - Kangning Zhao
- Laboratory of Advanced Separations (LAS), École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Sion, CH-1950, Switzerland
| | - Heng-Yu Chi
- Laboratory of Advanced Separations (LAS), École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Sion, CH-1950, Switzerland
| | - Yueqing Shen
- Laboratory of Advanced Separations (LAS), École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Sion, CH-1950, Switzerland
| | - Shuqing Song
- Laboratory of Advanced Separations (LAS), École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Sion, CH-1950, Switzerland
| | - Kuang-Jung Hsu
- Laboratory of Advanced Separations (LAS), École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Sion, CH-1950, Switzerland
| | - Mojtaba Chevalier
- Laboratory of Advanced Separations (LAS), École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Sion, CH-1950, Switzerland
| | - Wenxiong Shi
- Institute for New Energy Materials and Low Carbon Technologies, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tianjin University of Technology, Tianjin, 300387, P. R. China
| | - Kumar Varoon Agrawal
- Laboratory of Advanced Separations (LAS), École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Sion, CH-1950, Switzerland.
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4
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Qing F, Guo X, Hou Y, Ning C, Wang Q, Li X. Toward the Production of Super Graphene. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2024:e2310678. [PMID: 38708801 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202310678] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2023] [Revised: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 05/07/2024]
Abstract
The quality requirements of graphene depend on the applications. Some have a high tolerance for graphene quality and even require some defects, while others require graphene as perfect as possible to achieve good performance. So far, synthesis of large-area graphene films by chemical vapor deposition of carbon precursors on metal substrates, especially on Cu, remains the main way to produce high-quality graphene, which has been significantly developed in the past 15 years. However, although many prototypes are demonstrated, their performance is still more or less far from the theoretical property limit of graphene. This review focuses on how to make super graphene, namely graphene with a perfect structure and free of contaminations. More specially, this study focuses on graphene synthesis on Cu substrates. Typical defects in graphene are first discussed together with the formation mechanisms and how they are characterized normally, followed with a brief review of graphene properties and the effects of defects. Then, the synthesis progress of super graphene from the aspects of substrate, grain size, wrinkles, contamination, adlayers, and point defects are reviewed. Graphene transfer is briefly discussed as well. Finally, the challenges to make super graphene are discussed and a strategy is proposed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fangzhu Qing
- School of Integrated Circuit Science and Engineering (Exemplary School of Microelectronics), University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 611731, China
- State Key Laboratory of Electronic Thin Films and Integrated Devices, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 611731, China
- Shenzhen Institute for Advanced Study, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Shenzhen, 518110, China
| | - Xiaomeng Guo
- School of Integrated Circuit Science and Engineering (Exemplary School of Microelectronics), University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 611731, China
| | - Yuting Hou
- School of Integrated Circuit Science and Engineering (Exemplary School of Microelectronics), University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 611731, China
| | - Congcong Ning
- School of Integrated Circuit Science and Engineering (Exemplary School of Microelectronics), University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 611731, China
| | - Qisong Wang
- School of Integrated Circuit Science and Engineering (Exemplary School of Microelectronics), University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 611731, China
| | - Xuesong Li
- School of Integrated Circuit Science and Engineering (Exemplary School of Microelectronics), University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 611731, China
- State Key Laboratory of Electronic Thin Films and Integrated Devices, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 611731, China
- Shenzhen Institute for Advanced Study, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Shenzhen, 518110, China
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5
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Calvani D, Kreupeling B, Sevink GJA, de Groot HJM, Schneider GF, Buda F. Covalent Benzenesulfonic Functionalization of a Graphene Nanopore for Enhanced and Selective Proton Transport. THE JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY. C, NANOMATERIALS AND INTERFACES 2024; 128:3514-3524. [PMID: 38445014 PMCID: PMC10910585 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcc.3c07406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2023] [Revised: 02/01/2024] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024]
Abstract
A fundamental understanding of proton transport through graphene nanopores, defects, and vacancies is essential for advancing two-dimensional proton exchange membranes (PEMs). This study employs ReaxFF molecular dynamics, metadynamics, and density functional theory to investigate the enhanced proton transport through a graphene nanopore. Covalently functionalizing the nanopore with a benzenesulfonic group yields consistent improvements in proton permeability, with a lower activation barrier (≈0.15 eV) and increased proton selectivity over sodium cations. The benzenesulfonic functionality acts as a dynamic proton shuttle, establishing a favorable hydrogen-bonding network and an efficient proton transport channel. The model reveals an optimal balance between proton permeability and selectivity, which is essential for effective proton exchange membranes. Notably, the benzenesulfonic-functionalized graphene nanopore system achieves a theoretically estimated proton diffusion coefficient comparable to or higher than the current state-of-the-art PEM, Nafion. Ergo, the benzenesulfonic functionalization of graphene nanopores, firmly holds promise for future graphene-based membrane development in energy conversion devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dario Calvani
- Leiden
Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, P.O. Box 9502, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Bas Kreupeling
- Leiden
Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, P.O. Box 9502, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - G. J. Agur Sevink
- Leiden
Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, P.O. Box 9502, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Huub J. M. de Groot
- Leiden
Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, P.O. Box 9502, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Grégory F. Schneider
- Leiden
Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, P.O. Box 9502, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Francesco Buda
- Leiden
Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, P.O. Box 9502, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands
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6
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Goethem CV, Shen Y, Chi HY, Mensi M, Zhao K, Nijmeijer A, Just PE, Agrawal KV. Advancing Molecular Sieving via Å-Scale Pore Tuning in Bottom-Up Graphene Synthesis. ACS NANO 2024. [PMID: 38324377 PMCID: PMC10883125 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.3c11885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2024]
Abstract
Porous graphene films are attractive as a gas separation membrane given that the selective layer can be just one atom thick, allowing high-flux separation. A favorable aspect of porous graphene is that the pore size, essentially gaps created by lattice defects, can be tuned. While this has been demonstrated for postsynthetic, top-down pore etching in graphene, it does not exist in the more scalable, bottom-up synthesis of porous graphene. Inspired by the mechanism of precipitation-based synthesis of porous graphene over catalytic nickel foil, we herein conceive an extremely simple way to tune the pore size. This is implemented by increasing the cooling rate by over 100-fold from -1 °C min-1 to over -5 °C s-1. Rapid cooling restricts carbon diffusion, resulting in a higher availability of dissolved carbon for precipitation, as evidenced by quantitative carbon-diffusion simulation, measurement of carbon concentration as a function of nickel depth, and imaging of the graphene nanostructure. The resulting enhanced grain (inter)growth reduces the effective pore size which leads to an increase of the H2/CH4 separation factor from 6.2 up to 53.3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cédric Van Goethem
- Laboratory for Advanced Separations (LAS), Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering (ISIC), Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Rue de l'industrie 17, 1950 Sion, Switzerland
| | - Yueqing Shen
- Laboratory for Advanced Separations (LAS), Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering (ISIC), Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Rue de l'industrie 17, 1950 Sion, Switzerland
| | - Heng-Yu Chi
- Laboratory for Advanced Separations (LAS), Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering (ISIC), Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Rue de l'industrie 17, 1950 Sion, Switzerland
| | - Mounir Mensi
- X-ray Diffraction and Surface Analytics Platform (XRD-SAP), Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering (ISIC), Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL-Valais Wallis), Rue de l'industrie 17, 1950 Sion, Switzerland
| | - Kangning Zhao
- Laboratory for Advanced Separations (LAS), Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering (ISIC), Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Rue de l'industrie 17, 1950 Sion, Switzerland
| | - Arian Nijmeijer
- Shell Global Solutions International B.V., P.O. Box 38000, 1030 BN Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Inorganic Membranes, MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Twente, P.O. Box 217, 7500 AE Enschede, The Netherlands
| | - Paul-Emmanuel Just
- Shell Global Solutions International B.V., P.O. Box 38000, 1030 BN Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Kumar Varoon Agrawal
- Laboratory for Advanced Separations (LAS), Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering (ISIC), Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Rue de l'industrie 17, 1950 Sion, Switzerland
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7
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Bhardwaj A, Surmani Martins MV, You Y, Sajja R, Rimmer M, Goutham S, Qi R, Abbas Dar S, Radha B, Keerthi A. Fabrication of angstrom-scale two-dimensional channels for mass transport. Nat Protoc 2024; 19:240-280. [PMID: 38012396 DOI: 10.1038/s41596-023-00911-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2023] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
Fluidic channels at atomic scales regulate cellular trafficking and molecular filtration across membranes, and thus play crucial roles in the functioning of living systems. However, constructing synthetic channels experimentally at these scales has been a significant challenge due to the limitations in nanofabrication techniques and the surface roughness of the commonly used materials. Angstrom (Å)-scale slit-like channels overcome such challenges as these are made with precise control over their dimensions and can be used to study the fluidic properties of gases, ions and water at unprecedented scales. Here we provide a detailed fabrication method of the two-dimensional Å-scale channel devices that can be assembled to contain a desired number of channels, a single channel or up to hundreds of channels, made with atomic-scale precision using layered crystals. The procedure includes the fabrication of the substrate, flake, spacer layer, flake transfers, van der Waals assembly and postprocessing. We further explain how to perform molecular transport measurements with the Å-channels to directly probe the intriguing and anomalous phenomena that help shed light on the physics governing ultra-confined transport. The procedure requires a total of 1-2 weeks for the fabrication of the two-dimensional channel device and is suitable for users with prior experience in clean room working environments and nanofabrication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ankit Bhardwaj
- National Graphene Institute, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, School of Natural Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Marcos Vinicius Surmani Martins
- National Graphene Institute, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, School of Natural Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Yi You
- National Graphene Institute, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, School of Natural Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Ravalika Sajja
- National Graphene Institute, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, School of Natural Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Max Rimmer
- National Graphene Institute, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, School of Natural Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Solleti Goutham
- National Graphene Institute, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, School of Natural Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Rongrong Qi
- National Graphene Institute, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, School of Natural Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Sidra Abbas Dar
- National Graphene Institute, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, School of Natural Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Boya Radha
- National Graphene Institute, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, School of Natural Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
| | - Ashok Keerthi
- National Graphene Institute, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
- Department of Chemistry, School of Natural Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
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8
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Nalge DR, Karmakar T, Bhattacharya S, Balasubramanian KB. Thermodynamic Window for Size-Controlled Pore Formation in Graphene for Large-Scale Molecular Sieves. J Phys Chem Lett 2023; 14:9758-9765. [PMID: 37882468 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.3c02186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2023]
Abstract
Nanopores in graphene monolayers are a promising option for molecular separation applications, such as desalination and carbon capture. Graphene's atomic thickness allows for an optimal balance between molecular selectivity and permeability, while its chemical stability and robust mechanical properties make it appealing for a wide range of commercial applications. However, scaling to large areas with controlled pore size distribution is an open challenge in ultrathin membranes. Here, using first-principles calculations, we identify a suitable thermodynamic window in a chemical vapor deposition system for directly growing graphene monolayers with a controlled pore size distribution. As an example, our calculations show that a postgrowth annealing step with a supersaturation range of 19.7-25 kJ/mol at 1000 K results in the creation of a controllable pore density at graphene grain boundaries, with pore sizes falling within the range of 5-8 Å. Such pores isolate hydrated Cl ions from water molecules, effectively desalinating seawater. Thus, it allows the design of targeted synthesis of large-scale 2D layers for membrane applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Divij Ramesh Nalge
- Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, IIT Delhi Main Rd, IIT Campus, Hauz Khas, New Delhi,Delhi 110016, India
| | - Tarak Karmakar
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, IIT Delhi Main Rd, IIT Campus, Hauz Khas, New Delhi, Delhi 110016, India
| | - Saswata Bhattacharya
- Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, IIT Delhi Main Rd, IIT Campus, Hauz Khas, New Delhi,Delhi 110016, India
| | - Krishna Bharadwaj Balasubramanian
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, IIT Delhi Main Rd, IIT Campus, Hauz Khas, New Delhi, Delhi 110016, India
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9
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Differences in water and vapor transport through angstrom-scale pores in atomically thin membranes. Nat Commun 2022; 13:6709. [PMID: 36344569 PMCID: PMC9640652 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-34172-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2021] [Accepted: 10/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The transport of water through nanoscale capillaries/pores plays a prominent role in biology, ionic/molecular separations, water treatment and protective applications. However, the mechanisms of water and vapor transport through nanoscale confinements remain to be fully understood. Angstrom-scale pores (~2.8-6.6 Å) introduced into the atomically thin graphene lattice represent ideal model systems to probe water transport at the molecular-length scale with short pores (aspect ratio ~1-1.9) i.e., pore diameters approach the pore length (~3.4 Å) at the theoretical limit of material thickness. Here, we report on orders of magnitude differences (~80×) between transport of water vapor (~44.2-52.4 g m-2 day-1 Pa-1) and liquid water (0.6-2 g m-2 day-1 Pa-1) through nanopores (~2.8-6.6 Å in diameter) in monolayer graphene and rationalize this difference via a flow resistance model in which liquid water permeation occurs near the continuum regime whereas water vapor transport occurs in the free molecular flow regime. We demonstrate centimeter-scale atomically thin graphene membranes with up to an order of magnitude higher water vapor transport rate (~5.4-6.1 × 104 g m-2 day-1) than most commercially available ultra-breathable protective materials while effectively blocking even sub-nanometer (>0.66 nm) model ions/molecules.
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10
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Villalobos LF, Babu DJ, Hsu KJ, Van Goethem C, Agrawal KV. Gas Separation Membranes with Atom-Thick Nanopores: The Potential of Nanoporous Single-Layer Graphene. ACCOUNTS OF MATERIALS RESEARCH 2022; 3:1073-1087. [PMID: 36338295 PMCID: PMC9623591 DOI: 10.1021/accountsmr.2c00143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2022] [Revised: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Gas separation is one of the most important industrial processes and is poised to take a larger role in the transition to renewable energy, e.g., carbon capture and hydrogen purification. Conventional gas separation processes involving cryogenic distillation, solvents, and sorbents are energy intensive, and as a result, the energy footprint of gas separations in the chemical industry is extraordinarily high. This has motivated fundamental research toward the development of novel materials for high-performance membranes to improve the energy efficiency of gas separation. These novel materials are expected to overcome the intrinsic limitations of the conventional membrane material, i.e., polymers, where a longstanding trade-off between the separation selectivity and the permeance has motivated research into nanoporous materials as the selective layer for the membranes. In this context, atom-thick materials such as nanoporous single-layer graphene constitute the ultimate limit for the selective layer. Gas transport from atom-thick nanopores is extremely fast, dependent primarily on the energy barrier that the gas molecule experiences in translocating the nanopore. Consequently, the difference in the energy barriers for two gas molecules determines the gas pair selectivity. In this Account, we summarize the development in the field of nanoporous single-layer graphene membranes for gas separation. We start by discussing the mechanism for gas transport across atom-thick nanopores, which then yields the crucial design elements needed to achieve high-performance membranes: (i) nanopores with an adequate electron-density gap to sieve the desired gas component (e.g., smaller than 0.289, 0.33, 0.346, 0.362, and 0.38 nm for H2, CO2, O2, N2, and CH4, respectively), (ii) narrow pore size distribution to limit the nonselective effusive transport from the tail end of the distribution, and (iii) high density of selective pores. We discuss and compare the state-of-the-art bottom-up and top-down routes for the synthesis of nanoporous graphene films. Mechanistic insights and parameters controlling the size, distribution, and density of nanopores are discussed. Fundamental insights are provided into the reaction of ozone with graphene, which has been successfully used by our group to develop membranes with record-high carbon capture performance. Postsynthetic modifications, which allow the tuning of the transport by (i) tailoring the relative contributions of adsorbed-phase and gas-phase transport, (ii) competitive adsorption, and (iii) molecular cutoff adjustment, are discussed. Finally, we discuss practical aspects that are crucial in successfully preparing practical membranes using atom-thick materials as the selective layer, allowing the eventual scale-up of these membranes. Crack- and tear-free preparation of membranes is discussed using the approach of mechanical reinforcement of graphene with nanoporous carbon and polymers, which led to the first reports of millimeter- and centimeter-scale gas-sieving membranes in the year 2018 and 2021, respectively. We conclude with insights and perspectives highlighting the key scientific and technological gaps that must be addressed in the future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis Francisco Villalobos
- Laboratory
of Advanced Separations, École Polytechnique
Fédérale de Lausanne, Sion 1950, Switzerland
| | - Deepu J. Babu
- Laboratory
of Advanced Separations, École Polytechnique
Fédérale de Lausanne, Sion 1950, Switzerland
- Department
of Materials Science and Metallurgical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad, Telangana 502 284, India
| | - Kuang-Jung Hsu
- Laboratory
of Advanced Separations, École Polytechnique
Fédérale de Lausanne, Sion 1950, Switzerland
| | - Cédric Van Goethem
- Laboratory
of Advanced Separations, École Polytechnique
Fédérale de Lausanne, Sion 1950, Switzerland
| | - Kumar Varoon Agrawal
- Laboratory
of Advanced Separations, École Polytechnique
Fédérale de Lausanne, Sion 1950, Switzerland
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11
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Moehring NK, Chaturvedi P, Cheng P, Ko W, Li AP, Boutilier MSH, Kidambi PR. Kinetic Control of Angstrom-Scale Porosity in 2D Lattices for Direct Scalable Synthesis of Atomically Thin Proton Exchange Membranes. ACS NANO 2022; 16:16003-16018. [PMID: 36201748 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.2c03730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Angstrom-scale pores introduced into atomically thin 2D materials offer transformative advances for proton exchange membranes in several energy applications. Here, we show that facile kinetic control of scalable chemical vapor deposition (CVD) can allow for direct formation of angstrom-scale proton-selective pores in monolayer graphene with significant hindrance to even small, hydrated ions (K+ diameter ∼6.6 Å) and gas molecules (H2 kinetic diameter ∼2.9 Å). We demonstrate centimeter-scale Nafion|Graphene|Nafion membranes with proton conductance ∼3.3-3.8 S cm-2 (graphene ∼12.7-24.6 S cm-2) and H+/K+ selectivity ∼6.2-44.2 with liquid electrolytes. The same membranes show proton conductance ∼4.6-4.8 S cm-2 (graphene ∼39.9-57.5 S cm-2) and extremely low H2 crossover ∼1.7 × 10-1 - 2.2 × 10-1 mA cm-2 (∼0.4 V, ∼25 °C) with H2 gas feed. We rationalize our findings via a resistance-based transport model and introduce a stacking approach that leverages combinatorial effects of interdefect distance and interlayer transport to allow for Nafion|Graphene|Graphene|Nafion membranes with H+/K+ selectivity ∼86.1 (at 1 M) and record low H2 crossover current density ∼2.5 × 10-2 mA cm-2, up to ∼90% lower than state-of-the-art ionomer Nafion membranes ∼2.7 × 10-1 mA cm-2 under identical conditions, while still maintaining proton conductance ∼4.2 S cm-2 (graphene stack ∼20.8 S cm-2) comparable to that for Nafion of ∼5.2 S cm-2. Our experimental insights enable functional atomically thin high flux proton exchange membranes with minimal crossover.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole K Moehring
- Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Materials Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee37235, United States
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee37212, United States
- Vanderbilt Institute of Nanoscale Science and Engineering, Nashville, Tennessee37212, United States
| | - Pavan Chaturvedi
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee37212, United States
- Vanderbilt Institute of Nanoscale Science and Engineering, Nashville, Tennessee37212, United States
| | - Peifu Cheng
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee37212, United States
- Vanderbilt Institute of Nanoscale Science and Engineering, Nashville, Tennessee37212, United States
| | - Wonhee Ko
- Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee37831, United States
| | - An-Ping Li
- Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee37831, United States
| | - Michael S H Boutilier
- Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Western University, London, OntarioN6A 3K7, Canada
| | - Piran R Kidambi
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee37212, United States
- Vanderbilt Institute of Nanoscale Science and Engineering, Nashville, Tennessee37212, United States
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee37212, United States
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12
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Cheng P, Espano J, Harkaway A, Naclerio AE, Moehring NK, Braeuninger-Weimer P, Kidambi PR. Nanoporous Atomically Thin Graphene Filters for Nanoscale Aerosols. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2022; 14:41328-41336. [PMID: 36036893 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.2c10827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Filtering nanoparticulate aerosols from air streams is important for a wide range of personal protection equipment (PPE), including masks used for medical research, healthcare, law enforcement, first responders, and military applications. Conventional PPEs capable of filtering nanoparticles <300 nm are typically bulky and sacrifice breathability to maximize protection from exposure to harmful nanoparticulate aerosols including viruses ∼20-300 nm from air streams. Here, we show that nanopores introduced into centimeter-scale monolayer graphene supported on polycarbonate track-etched supports via a facile oxygen plasma etch can allow for filtration of aerosolized SiO2 nanoparticles of ∼5-20 nm from air steams while maintaining air permeance of ∼2.28-7.1 × 10-5 mol m-2 s-1 Pa-1. Furthermore, a systematic increase in oxygen plasma etch time allows for a tunable size-selective filtration of aerosolized nanoparticles. We demonstrate a new route to realize ultra-compact, lightweight, and conformal form-factor filters capable of blocking sub-20 nm aerosolized nanoparticles with particular relevance for biological/viral threat mitigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peifu Cheng
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37212, United States
| | - Jeremy Espano
- Interdisciplinary Graduate Program for Material Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37212, United States
| | - Andrew Harkaway
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37212, United States
| | - Andrew E Naclerio
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37212, United States
| | - Nicole K Moehring
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37212, United States
- Interdisciplinary Graduate Program for Material Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37212, United States
| | | | - Piran R Kidambi
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37212, United States
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37212, United States
- Vanderbilt Institute of Nanoscale Sciences and Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37212, United States
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13
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Isfahani AP, Arabi Shamsabadi A, Soroush M. MXenes and Other Two-Dimensional Materials for Membrane Gas Separation: Progress, Challenges, and Potential of MXene-Based Membranes. Ind Eng Chem Res 2022. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.iecr.2c02042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ali Pournaghshband Isfahani
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - Ahmad Arabi Shamsabadi
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - Masoud Soroush
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
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14
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Yuan Z, He G, Li SX, Misra RP, Strano MS, Blankschtein D. Gas Separations using Nanoporous Atomically Thin Membranes: Recent Theoretical, Simulation, and Experimental Advances. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2022; 34:e2201472. [PMID: 35389537 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202201472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2022] [Revised: 03/15/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Porous graphene and other atomically thin 2D materials are regarded as highly promising membrane materials for high-performance gas separations due to their atomic thickness, large-scale synthesizability, excellent mechanical strength, and chemical stability. When these atomically thin materials contain a high areal density of gas-sieving nanoscale pores, they can exhibit both high gas permeances and high selectivities, which is beneficial for reducing the cost of gas-separation processes. Here, recent modeling and experimental advances in nanoporous atomically thin membranes for gas separations is discussed. The major challenges involved, including controlling pore size distributions, scaling up the membrane area, and matching theory with experimental results, are also highlighted. Finally, important future directions are proposed for real gas-separation applications of nanoporous atomically thin membranes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhe Yuan
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Guangwei He
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Sylvia Xin Li
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Rahul Prasanna Misra
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Michael S Strano
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Daniel Blankschtein
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
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15
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Zhang H, Zheng Y, Yu S, Chen W, Yang J. A Review of Advancing Two-Dimensional Material Membranes for Ultrafast and Highly Selective Liquid Separation. NANOMATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 12:2103. [PMID: 35745442 PMCID: PMC9229763 DOI: 10.3390/nano12122103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2022] [Revised: 06/15/2022] [Accepted: 06/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Membrane-based nanotechnology possesses high separation efficiency, low economic and energy consumption, continuous operation modes and environmental benefits, and has been utilized in various separation fields. Two-dimensional nanomaterials (2DNMs) with unique atomic thickness have rapidly emerged as ideal building blocks to develop high-performance separation membranes. By rationally tailoring and precisely controlling the nanochannels and/or nanoporous apertures of 2DNMs, 2DNM-based membranes are capable of exhibiting unprecedentedly high permeation and selectivity properties. In this review, the latest breakthroughs in using 2DNM-based membranes as nanosheets and laminar membranes are summarized, including their fabrication, structure design, transport behavior, separation mechanisms, and applications in liquid separations. Examples of advanced 2D material (graphene family, 2D TMDs, MXenes, metal-organic frameworks, and covalent organic framework nanosheets) membrane designs with remarkably perm-selective properties are highlighted. Additionally, the development of strategies used to functionalize membranes with 2DNMs are discussed. Finally, current technical challenges and emerging research directions of advancing 2DNM membranes for liquid separation are shared.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongli Zhang
- School of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, Xi’an Technological University, Xi’an 710021, China; (Y.Z.); (W.C.)
| | - Yiling Zheng
- School of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, Xi’an Technological University, Xi’an 710021, China; (Y.Z.); (W.C.)
| | - Shuwen Yu
- Key Laboratory of Spin Electron and Nanomaterials of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Suzhou University, Suzhou 234000, China;
| | - Weixing Chen
- School of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, Xi’an Technological University, Xi’an 710021, China; (Y.Z.); (W.C.)
| | - Jie Yang
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Xi’an Polytechnic University, Xi’an 710048, China
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16
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Zhang S, Shen L, Deng H, Liu Q, You X, Yuan J, Jiang Z, Zhang S. Ultrathin Membranes for Separations: A New Era Driven by Advanced Nanotechnology. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2022; 34:e2108457. [PMID: 35238090 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202108457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2021] [Revised: 02/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Ultrathin membranes are at the forefront of membrane research, offering great opportunities in revolutionizing separations with ultrafast transport. Driven by advanced nanomaterials and manufacturing technology, tremendous progresses are made over the last 15 years in the fabrications and applications of sub-50 nm membranes. Here, an overview of state-of-the-art ultrathin membranes is first introduced, followed by a summary of the fabrication techniques with an emphasis on how to realize such extremely low thickness. Then, different types of ultrathin membranes, categorized based on their structures, that is, network, laminar, or framework structures, are discussed with a focus on the interplays among structure, fabrication methods, and separation performances. Recent research and development trends are highlighted. Meanwhile, the performances and applications of current ultrathin membranes for representative separations (gas separation and liquid separation) are thoroughly analyzed and compared. Last, the challenges in material design, structure construction, and coordination are given, in order to fully realize the potential of ultrathin membranes and facilitate the translation from scientific achievements to industrial productions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiyu Zhang
- Joint School of National University of Singapore and Tianjin University, International Campus of Tianjin University, Binhai New City, Fuzhou, 350207, P. R. China
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National University of Singapore, 4 Engineering Drive 4, Singapore, 117585, Singapore
| | - Liang Shen
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National University of Singapore, 4 Engineering Drive 4, Singapore, 117585, Singapore
| | - Hao Deng
- Joint School of National University of Singapore and Tianjin University, International Campus of Tianjin University, Binhai New City, Fuzhou, 350207, P. R. China
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National University of Singapore, 4 Engineering Drive 4, Singapore, 117585, Singapore
| | - Qinze Liu
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National University of Singapore, 4 Engineering Drive 4, Singapore, 117585, Singapore
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences), Jinan, 250353, P. R. China
| | - Xinda You
- Key Laboratory for Green Chemical Technology of Ministry of Education, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin), Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Jinqiu Yuan
- Key Laboratory for Green Chemical Technology of Ministry of Education, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin), Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Zhongyi Jiang
- Joint School of National University of Singapore and Tianjin University, International Campus of Tianjin University, Binhai New City, Fuzhou, 350207, P. R. China
- Key Laboratory for Green Chemical Technology of Ministry of Education, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin), Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Sui Zhang
- Joint School of National University of Singapore and Tianjin University, International Campus of Tianjin University, Binhai New City, Fuzhou, 350207, P. R. China
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National University of Singapore, 4 Engineering Drive 4, Singapore, 117585, Singapore
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17
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Rezaei M, Villalobos LF, Hsu K, Agrawal KV. Demonstrating and Unraveling a Controlled Nanometer-Scale Expansion of the Vacancy Defects in Graphene by CO 2. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2022; 61:e202200321. [PMID: 35244325 PMCID: PMC9313848 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202200321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
A controlled manipulation of graphene edges and vacancies is desired for molecular separation, sensing and electronics applications. Unfortunately, available etching methods always lead to vacancy nucleation making it challenging to control etching. Herein, we report CO2 -led controlled etching down to 2-3 Å per minute while completely avoiding vacancy nucleation. This makes CO2 a unique etchant for decoupling pore nucleation and expansion. We show that CO2 expands the steric-hindrance-free edges with an activation energy of 2.71 eV, corresponding to the energy barrier for the dissociative chemisorption of CO2 . We demonstrate the presence of an additional configurational energy barrier for nanometer-sized vacancies resulting in a significantly slower rate of expansion. Finally, CO2 etching is applied to map the location of the intrinsic vacancies in the polycrystalline graphene film where we show that the intrinsic vacancy defects manifest mainly as grain boundary defects where intragrain defects from oxidative etching constitute a minor population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mojtaba Rezaei
- Laboratory of Advanced Separations (LAS)École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)1950SionSwitzerland
| | - Luis Francisco Villalobos
- Laboratory of Advanced Separations (LAS)École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)1950SionSwitzerland
| | - Kuang‐Jung Hsu
- Laboratory of Advanced Separations (LAS)École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)1950SionSwitzerland
| | - Kumar Varoon Agrawal
- Laboratory of Advanced Separations (LAS)École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)1950SionSwitzerland
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18
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Ding C, Yao Y, Zhu L, Shang H, Xu P, Liu X, Lin J, Wang F, Zhan X, He J, Wang Z. Growth, Raman Scattering Investigation and Photodetector Properties of 2D SnP. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2022; 18:e2108017. [PMID: 35277924 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202108017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2022] [Revised: 02/24/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
As an important metal phosphides material, 2D tin phosphides (SnPx 0 < x ≤ 3) have been theoretically predicted to have intriguing physicochemical properties and potential applications in electronics, optoelectronics, and energy fields. However, the synthesis of high-quality 2D SnP single crystal has not been reported due to the lack of efficiency and reliable growth method. Here, a facile atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition (APCVD) method is developed to realize the growth of high-quality 2D SnP nanosheets, by employing tin (Sn) foil as both liquid metal substrates and reaction precursor. Temperature-dependent and angle-resolved polarization Raman spectra observed Raman peaks located at 142.6, 303.3, and 444.2 cm-1 are concluded to belong to A1g mode, which are consistent with the theoretical calculation results. Moreover, the field-effect transistor (FET) devices based on SnP nanosheets show a typical n-type characteristic with an on/off ratio of 103 at 200 K. SnP nanosheets also demonstrate excellent photoresponse performance under the illumination of 473, 532, and 639 nm lasers, which can be tuned by Vgs , Vds , and light power density. It is believed that these findings can provide the first-hand experimental information for the future study of 2D SnP nanosheets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chuyun Ding
- Department of Physics, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Materials Protection and Advanced Materials in Electric Power, Shanghai University of Electric Power, Shanghai, 200090, China
- National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Yuyu Yao
- National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing, 100190, China
- Sino-Danish college, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Leilei Zhu
- Department of Chemical Physics, University of Science and Technology of China, 96 Jinzhai Road, Hefei, Anhui Province, 230026, China
| | - Honghui Shang
- State Key Laboratory of Computer Architecture, Institute of Computing Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Peng Xu
- National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Xiaolin Liu
- Department of Physics, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Materials Protection and Advanced Materials in Electric Power, Shanghai University of Electric Power, Shanghai, 200090, China
| | - Jia Lin
- Department of Physics, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Materials Protection and Advanced Materials in Electric Power, Shanghai University of Electric Power, Shanghai, 200090, China
| | - Feng Wang
- National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Xueying Zhan
- National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Jun He
- School of physics and Technology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Zhenxing Wang
- National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing, 100190, China
- Sino-Danish college, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
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19
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Rezaei M, Villalobos LF, Hsu KJ, Agrawal KV. Demonstrating and Unraveling a Controlled Nanometer‐Scale Expansion of the Vacancy Defects in Graphene by CO2. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.202200321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mojtaba Rezaei
- École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne: Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne Chemistry and chemical engineering SWITZERLAND
| | - Luis Francisco Villalobos
- École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne: Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering SWITZERLAND
| | - Kuang-Jung Hsu
- École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne: Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering SWITZERLAND
| | - Kumar Varoon Agrawal
- École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) Institute of chemical sciences and engineering Rue de l'Industrie 17Case Postale 440Switzerland CH-1950 Sion SWITZERLAND
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20
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Bhowmik S, Govind Rajan A. Chemical vapor deposition of 2D materials: A review of modeling, simulation, and machine learning studies. iScience 2022; 25:103832. [PMID: 35243221 PMCID: PMC8857588 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.103832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) is extensively used to produce large-area two-dimensional (2D) materials. Current research is aimed at understanding mechanisms underlying the nucleation and growth of various 2D materials, such as graphene, hexagonal boron nitride (hBN), and transition metal dichalcogenides (e.g., MoS2/WSe2). Herein, we survey the vast literature regarding modeling and simulation of the CVD growth of 2D materials and their heterostructures. We also focus on newer materials, such as silicene, phosphorene, and borophene. We discuss how density functional theory, kinetic Monte Carlo, and reactive molecular dynamics simulations can shed light on the thermodynamics and kinetics of vapor-phase synthesis. We explain how machine learning can be used to develop insights into growth mechanisms and outcomes, as well as outline the open knowledge gaps in the literature. Our work provides consolidated theoretical insights into the CVD growth of 2D materials and presents opportunities for further understanding and improving such processes
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21
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Ashirov T, Yazaydin AO, Coskun A. Tuning the Transport Properties of Gases in Porous Graphene Membranes with Controlled Pore Size and Thickness. ADVANCED MATERIALS 2022; 34. [DOI: https:/doi.org/10.1002/adma.202106785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2021] [Indexed: 07/03/2024]
Abstract
AbstractPorous graphene membranes have emerged as promising alternatives for gas‐separation applications due to their atomic thickness enabling ultrahigh permeance, but they suffer from low gas selectivity. Whereas decreasing the pore size below 3 nm is expected to increase the gas selectivity due to molecular sieving, it is rather challenging to generate a large number of uniform small pores on the graphene surface. Here, a pore‐narrowing approach via gold deposition onto porous graphene surface is introduced to tune the pore size and thickness of the membrane to achieve a large number of small pores. Through the systematic approach, the ideal combination is determined as pore size below 3 nm, obtained at the thickness of 100 nm, to attain high selectivity and high permeance. The resulting membrane shows a H2/CO2 separation factor of 31.3 at H2 permeance of 2.23 × 105 GPU (1 GPU = 3.35 × 10−10 mol s−1 m−2 Pa−1), which is the highest value reported to date in the 105 GPU permeance range. This result is explained by comparing the predicted binding energies of gas molecules with the Au surface, −5.3 versus −21 kJ mol−1 for H2 and CO2, respectively, increased surface–gas interactions and molecular‐sieving effect with decreasing pore size.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timur Ashirov
- Department of Chemistry University of Fribourg Fribourg 1700 Switzerland
| | - A. Ozgur Yazaydin
- Department of Chemical Engineering University College London Torrington Place London WC1E 7JE UK
| | - Ali Coskun
- Department of Chemistry University of Fribourg Fribourg 1700 Switzerland
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22
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Ashirov T, Yazaydin AO, Coskun A. Tuning the Transport Properties of Gases in Porous Graphene Membranes with Controlled Pore Size and Thickness. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2022; 34:e2106785. [PMID: 34775644 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202106785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2021] [Revised: 11/09/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Porous graphene membranes have emerged as promising alternatives for gas-separation applications due to their atomic thickness enabling ultrahigh permeance, but they suffer from low gas selectivity. Whereas decreasing the pore size below 3 nm is expected to increase the gas selectivity due to molecular sieving, it is rather challenging to generate a large number of uniform small pores on the graphene surface. Here, a pore-narrowing approach via gold deposition onto porous graphene surface is introduced to tune the pore size and thickness of the membrane to achieve a large number of small pores. Through the systematic approach, the ideal combination is determined as pore size below 3 nm, obtained at the thickness of 100 nm, to attain high selectivity and high permeance. The resulting membrane shows a H2 /CO2 separation factor of 31.3 at H2 permeance of 2.23 × 105 GPU (1 GPU = 3.35 × 10-10 mol s-1 m-2 Pa-1 ), which is the highest value reported to date in the 105 GPU permeance range. This result is explained by comparing the predicted binding energies of gas molecules with the Au surface, -5.3 versus -21 kJ mol-1 for H2 and CO2 , respectively, increased surface-gas interactions and molecular-sieving effect with decreasing pore size.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timur Ashirov
- Department of Chemistry, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, 1700, Switzerland
| | - A Ozgur Yazaydin
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University College London, Torrington Place, London, WC1E 7JE, UK
| | - Ali Coskun
- Department of Chemistry, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, 1700, Switzerland
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23
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Almassov N, Kirkpatrick S, Alsar Z, Serik N, Spitas C, Kostas K, Insepov Z. Crosslinking Multilayer Graphene by Gas Cluster Ion Bombardment. MEMBRANES 2021; 12:27. [PMID: 35054553 PMCID: PMC8781868 DOI: 10.3390/membranes12010027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2021] [Revised: 12/19/2021] [Accepted: 12/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
In this paper, we demonstrate a new, highly efficient method of crosslinking multilayer graphene, and create nanopores in it by its irradiation with low-energy argon cluster ions. Irradiation was performed by argon cluster ions with an acceleration energy E ≈ 30 keV, and total fluence of argon cluster ions ranging from 1 × 109 to 1 × 1014 ions/cm2. The results of the bombardment were observed by the direct examination of traces of argon-cluster penetration in multilayer graphene, using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. Further image processing revealed an average pore diameter of approximately 3 nm, with the predominant size corresponding to 2 nm. We anticipate that a controlled cross-linking process in multilayer graphene can be achieved by appropriately varying irradiation energy, dose, and type of clusters. We believe that this method is very promising for modulating the properties of multilayer graphene, and opens new possibilities for creating three-dimensional nanomaterials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nurlan Almassov
- School of Engineering and Digital Sciences, Nazarbayev University, Nur-Sultan 010000, Kazakhstan; (N.A.); (Z.A.); (N.S.); (C.S.); (K.K.)
| | | | - Zhanna Alsar
- School of Engineering and Digital Sciences, Nazarbayev University, Nur-Sultan 010000, Kazakhstan; (N.A.); (Z.A.); (N.S.); (C.S.); (K.K.)
| | - Nurzhan Serik
- School of Engineering and Digital Sciences, Nazarbayev University, Nur-Sultan 010000, Kazakhstan; (N.A.); (Z.A.); (N.S.); (C.S.); (K.K.)
| | - Christos Spitas
- School of Engineering and Digital Sciences, Nazarbayev University, Nur-Sultan 010000, Kazakhstan; (N.A.); (Z.A.); (N.S.); (C.S.); (K.K.)
| | - Konstantinos Kostas
- School of Engineering and Digital Sciences, Nazarbayev University, Nur-Sultan 010000, Kazakhstan; (N.A.); (Z.A.); (N.S.); (C.S.); (K.K.)
| | - Zinetula Insepov
- School of Engineering and Digital Sciences, Nazarbayev University, Nur-Sultan 010000, Kazakhstan; (N.A.); (Z.A.); (N.S.); (C.S.); (K.K.)
- School of Nuclear Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
- Department of Condensed Matter Physics, National Nuclear Research University (MEPhI), 115409 Moscow, Russia
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24
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Kidambi PR, Chaturvedi P, Moehring NK. Subatomic species transport through atomically thin membranes: Present and future applications. Science 2021; 374:eabd7687. [PMID: 34735245 DOI: 10.1126/science.abd7687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
[Figure: see text].
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Affiliation(s)
- Piran R Kidambi
- Department of Chemical and Bimolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.,Vanderbilt Institute of Nanoscale Sciences and Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.,Department of Mechanical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.,Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Material Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Pavan Chaturvedi
- Department of Chemical and Bimolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Nicole K Moehring
- Vanderbilt Institute of Nanoscale Sciences and Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.,Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Material Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
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25
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Yuan Z, He G, Faucher S, Kuehne M, Li SX, Blankschtein D, Strano MS. Direct Chemical Vapor Deposition Synthesis of Porous Single-Layer Graphene Membranes with High Gas Permeances and Selectivities. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2021; 33:e2104308. [PMID: 34510595 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202104308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2021] [Revised: 08/05/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Single-layer graphene containing molecular-sized in-plane pores is regarded as a promising membrane material for high-performance gas separations due to its atomic thickness and low gas transport resistance. However, typical etching-based pore generation methods cannot decouple pore nucleation and pore growth, resulting in a trade-off between high areal pore density and high selectivity. In contrast, intrinsic pores in graphene formed during chemical vapor deposition are not created by etching. Therefore, intrinsically porous graphene can exhibit high pore density while maintaining its gas selectivity. In this work, the density of intrinsic graphene pores is systematically controlled for the first time, while appropriate pore sizes for gas sieving are precisely maintained. As a result, single-layer graphene membranes with the highest H2 /CH4 separation performances recorded to date (H2 permeance > 4000 GPU and H2 /CH4 selectivity > 2000) are fabricated by manipulating growth temperature, precursor concentration, and non-covalent decoration of the graphene surface. Moreover, it is identified that nanoscale molecular fouling of the graphene surface during gas separation where graphene pores are partially blocked by hydrocarbon contaminants under experimental conditions, controls both selectivity and temperature dependent permeance. Overall, the direct synthesis of porous single-layer graphene exploits its tremendous potential as high-performance gas-sieving membranes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhe Yuan
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Guangwei He
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Samuel Faucher
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Matthias Kuehne
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Sylvia Xin Li
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Daniel Blankschtein
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Michael S Strano
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
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26
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Bottom-up synthesis of graphene films hosting atom-thick molecular-sieving apertures. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2022201118. [PMID: 34493654 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2022201118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Incorporation of a high density of molecular-sieving nanopores in the graphene lattice by the bottom-up synthesis is highly attractive for high-performance membranes. Herein, we achieve this by a controlled synthesis of nanocrystalline graphene where incomplete growth of a few nanometer-sized, misoriented grains generates molecular-sized pores in the lattice. The density of pores is comparable to that obtained by the state-of-the-art postsynthetic etching (1012 cm-2) and is up to two orders of magnitude higher than that of molecular-sieving intrinsic vacancy defects in single-layer graphene (SLG) prepared by chemical vapor deposition. The porous nanocrystalline graphene (PNG) films are synthesized by precipitation of C dissolved in the Ni matrix where the C concentration is regulated by controlled pyrolysis of precursors (polymers and/or sugar). The PNG film is made of few-layered graphene except near the grain edge where the grains taper down to a single layer and eventually terminate into vacancy defects at a node where three or more grains meet. This unique nanostructure is highly attractive for the membranes because the layered domains improve the mechanical robustness of the film while the atom-thick molecular-sized apertures allow the realization of large gas transport. The combination of gas permeance and gas pair selectivity is comparable to that from the nanoporous SLG membranes prepared by state-of-the-art postsynthetic lattice etching. Overall, the method reported here improves the scale-up potential of graphene membranes by cutting down the processing steps.
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27
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Shen L, Shi Q, Zhang S, Gao J, Cheng DC, Yi M, Song R, Wang L, Jiang J, Karnik R, Zhang S. Highly porous nanofiber-supported monolayer graphene membranes for ultrafast organic solvent nanofiltration. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021; 7:eabg6263. [PMID: 34516873 PMCID: PMC8442935 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abg6263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2021] [Accepted: 07/16/2021] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Scalable fabrication of monolayer graphene membrane on porous supports is key to realizing practical applications of atomically thin membranes, but it is technologically challenging. Here, we demonstrate a facile and versatile electrospinning approach to realize nanoporous graphene membranes on different polymeric supports with high porosity for efficient diffusion- and pressure-driven separations. The conductive graphene works as an excellent receptor for deposition of highly porous nanofibers during electrospinning, thereby enabling direct attachment of graphene to the support. A universal “binder” additive is shown to enhance adhesion between the graphene layer and polymeric supports, resulting in high graphene coverage on nanofibers made from different polymers. After defect sealing and oxygen plasma treatment, the resulting nanoporous membranes demonstrate record-high performances in dialysis and organic solvent nanofiltration, with a pure ethanol permeance of 156.8 liters m−2 hour−1 bar−1 and 94.5% rejection to Rose Bengal (1011 g mol−1) that surpasses the permeability-selectivity trade-off.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liang Shen
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117576, Singapore
| | - Qi Shi
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117576, Singapore
| | - Shengping Zhang
- School of Electronics Engineering and Computer Science, Institute of Microelectronics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, P.R. China
| | - Jie Gao
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117576, Singapore
| | - David Chi Cheng
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Ming Yi
- Key Laboratory of Material Chemistry for Energy Conversion and Storage (Huazhong University of Science and Technology), Ministry of Education, Wuhan 430074, P.R. China
| | - Ruiyang Song
- School of Electronics Engineering and Computer Science, Institute of Microelectronics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, P.R. China
| | - Luda Wang
- School of Electronics Engineering and Computer Science, Institute of Microelectronics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, P.R. China
| | - Jianwen Jiang
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117576, Singapore
| | - Rohit Karnik
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Sui Zhang
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117576, Singapore
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28
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Williams CD, Siperstein FR, Carbone P. High-throughput molecular simulations reveal the origin of ion free energy barriers in graphene oxide membranes. NANOSCALE 2021; 13:13693-13702. [PMID: 34477644 DOI: 10.1039/d1nr02169a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Graphene oxide (GO) membranes are highly touted as materials for contemporary separation challenges including desalination, yet understanding of the interplay between their structure and salt rejection is limited. K+ ion permeation through hydrated GO membranes was investigated by combining structurally realistic molecular models and high-throughput molecular dynamics simulations. We show that it is essential to consider the complex GO microstructure to quantitatively reproduce experimentally-derived free energy barriers to K+ permeation for membranes with various interlayer distances less than 1.3 nm. This finding confirms the non-uniformity of GO nanopores and the necessity of the high-throughput approach for this class of material. The large barriers arise due to significant dehydration of K+ inside the membrane, which can have as few as 3 coordinated water molecules, compared to 7 in bulk solution. Thus, even if the membranes have an average pore size larger than the ion's hydrated diameter, the significant presence of pores whose size is smaller than the hydrated diameter creates bottlenecks for the permeation process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher D Williams
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Analytical Science, School of Engineering, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
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29
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Chen X, Zhang S, Hou D, Duan H, Deng B, Zeng Z, Liu B, Sun L, Song R, Du J, Gao P, Peng H, Liu Z, Wang L. Tunable Pore Size from Sub-Nanometer to a Few Nanometers in Large-Area Graphene Nanoporous Atomically Thin Membranes. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2021; 13:29926-29935. [PMID: 34133124 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.1c06243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Membranes are key components in chemical purification, biological separation, and water desalination. Traditional polymeric membranes are subjected to a ubiquitous trade-off between permeance and selectivity, which significantly hinders the separation performance. Nanoporous atomically thin membranes (NATMs), such as graphene NATMs, have the potential to break this trade-off. Owing to their uniqueness of two-dimensional structure and potential nanopore structure controllability, NATMs are expected to have outstanding selectivity through molecular sieving while achieving ultimate permeance at the same time. However, a drastic selectivity discrepancy exists between the proof-of-concept demonstrations and scalable separation applications in graphene membranes. In this paper, we offer a possible solution to narrow this discrepancy by tuning the pore density and pore size separately with two successive plasma treatments. We demonstrate that by narrowing the pore size distribution, the selectivity of graphene membranes can be greatly increased. Low-energy argon plasma is first applied to nucleate high density of defects in graphene. Controlled oxygen plasma is then utilized to selectively enlarge the defects into nanopores with desired sizes. This method is scalable, and the fabricated 1 cm2 graphene NATMs with sub-nanometer pores can separate KCl and Allura Red with a selectivity of 104 and a permeance of 1.1 × 10-6 m s-1. The pores in NATMs can be further tuned from gas-selective sub-nanometer pores to a few nanometer size. The fabricated NATMs show a selectivity of 35 between CO2 and N2. With longer enlargement time, a selectivity of 21.2 between a lysozyme and bovine serum albumin can also be achieved with roughly four times higher permeance than that of a commercial dialysis membrane. This research offers a solution to realize NATMs of tunable pore size with a narrow pore size distribution for different separation processes from sub-nanometer in gas separation or desalination to a few nanometers in dialysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaobo Chen
- Institute of Microelectronics, School of Electronics Engineering and Computer Science, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Shengping Zhang
- Institute of Microelectronics, School of Electronics Engineering and Computer Science, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- Beijing Graphene Institute, Beijing 100095, China
- Center for Nanochemistry, Beijing Science and Engineering Center for Nanocarbons, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Dandan Hou
- Institute of Microelectronics, School of Electronics Engineering and Computer Science, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- Beijing Graphene Institute, Beijing 100095, China
| | - Hongwei Duan
- Institute of Microelectronics, School of Electronics Engineering and Computer Science, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Bing Deng
- Center for Nanochemistry, Beijing Science and Engineering Center for Nanocarbons, Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Zhiyang Zeng
- Institute of Microelectronics, School of Electronics Engineering and Computer Science, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Bingyao Liu
- Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- Beijing Graphene Institute, Beijing 100095, China
- Electron Microscopy Laboratory, School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- Center for Nanochemistry, Beijing Science and Engineering Center for Nanocarbons, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Luzhao Sun
- Center for Nanochemistry, Beijing Science and Engineering Center for Nanocarbons, Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Ruiyang Song
- Institute of Microelectronics, School of Electronics Engineering and Computer Science, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Jinlong Du
- Electron Microscopy Laboratory, School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Peng Gao
- Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- Beijing Graphene Institute, Beijing 100095, China
- Electron Microscopy Laboratory, School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- International Center for Quantum Materials, School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Quantum Matter, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Hailin Peng
- Center for Nanochemistry, Beijing Science and Engineering Center for Nanocarbons, Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- Beijing Graphene Institute, Beijing 100095, China
| | - Zhongfan Liu
- Center for Nanochemistry, Beijing Science and Engineering Center for Nanocarbons, Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- Beijing Graphene Institute, Beijing 100095, China
| | - Luda Wang
- Institute of Microelectronics, School of Electronics Engineering and Computer Science, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- Beijing Graphene Institute, Beijing 100095, China
- Center for Nanochemistry, Beijing Science and Engineering Center for Nanocarbons, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
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30
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Su S, Wang X, Xue J. Nanopores in two-dimensional materials: accurate fabrication. MATERIALS HORIZONS 2021; 8:1390-1408. [PMID: 34846448 DOI: 10.1039/d0mh01412e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Two-dimensional (2D) materials such as graphene and molybdenum disulfide have been demonstrated with a wide range of applications in electronic devices, chemical catalysis, single-molecule detection, and energy conversion. In the 2D materials, nanopores can be created, and the 2D nanoporous membranes possess many unique properties such as ultrathin thickness, high surface area, and excellent particle sieving capability, showing extraordinary promise in plenty of applications, such as sea water desalination, gas separation, and DNA sequencing. The performances of these membranes are mainly determined by the nanopore size, structure, and density, which, in turn, rely on the fabrication techniques of the nanopores. This review covers the important progress of nanopore fabrication in 2D materials and comprehensively compares these methods for the features of the introduced nanopores and their formation processes. Future perspectives are discussed on the opportunities and challenges in fabricating high-grade 2D nanopores.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shihao Su
- State Key Laboratory of Nuclear Physics and Technology, School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, P. R. China.
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31
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Cheng P, Moehring NK, Idrobo JC, Ivanov IN, Kidambi PR. Scalable synthesis of nanoporous atomically thin graphene membranes for dialysis and molecular separations via facile isopropanol-assisted hot lamination. NANOSCALE 2021; 13:2825-2837. [PMID: 33508042 DOI: 10.1039/d0nr07384a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Scalable graphene synthesis and facile large-area membrane fabrication are imperative to advance nanoporous atomically thin membranes (NATMs) for molecular separations. Although chemical vapor deposition (CVD) allows for roll-to-roll high-quality monolayer graphene synthesis, facile transfer with atomically clean interfaces to porous supports for large-area NATM fabrication remains extremely challenging. Sacrificial polymer scaffolds commonly used for graphene transfer typically leave polymer residues detrimental to membrane performance and transfers without polymer scaffolds suffer from low yield resulting in high non-selective leakage through NATMs. Here, we systematically study the factors influencing graphene NATM fabrication and report on a novel roll-to-roll manufacturing compatible isopropanol-assisted hot lamination (IHL) process that enables scalable, facile and clean transfer of CVD graphene on to polycarbonate track etched (PCTE) supports with coverage ≥99.2%, while preserving support integrity/porosity. We demonstrate fully functional centimeter-scale graphene NATMs that show record high permeances (∼2-3 orders of magnitude higher) and better selectivity than commercially available state-of-the-art polymeric dialysis membranes, specifically in the 0-1000 Da range. Our work highlights a scalable approach to fabricate graphene NATMs for practical applications and is fully compatible with roll-to-roll manufacturing processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peifu Cheng
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37212, USA.
| | - Nicole K Moehring
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37212, USA. and Interdisciplinary Materials Science Program, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37212, USA
| | - Juan Carlos Idrobo
- Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, USA
| | - Ilia N Ivanov
- Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, USA
| | - Piran R Kidambi
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37212, USA. and Interdisciplinary Materials Science Program, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37212, USA and Department of Mechanical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37212, USA
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32
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Huang S, Li S, Villalobos LF, Dakhchoune M, Micari M, Babu DJ, Vahdat MT, Mensi M, Oveisi E, Agrawal KV. Millisecond lattice gasification for high-density CO 2- and O 2-sieving nanopores in single-layer graphene. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021; 7:7/9/eabf0116. [PMID: 33627433 PMCID: PMC7904253 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abf0116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2020] [Accepted: 01/12/2021] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Etching single-layer graphene to incorporate a high pore density with sub-angstrom precision in molecular differentiation is critical to realize the promising high-flux separation of similar-sized gas molecules, e.g., CO2 from N2 However, rapid etching kinetics needed to achieve the high pore density is challenging to control for such precision. Here, we report a millisecond carbon gasification chemistry incorporating high density (>1012 cm-2) of functional oxygen clusters that then evolve in CO2-sieving vacancy defects under controlled and predictable gasification conditions. A statistical distribution of nanopore lattice isomers is observed, in good agreement with the theoretical solution to the isomer cataloging problem. The gasification technique is scalable, and a centimeter-scale membrane is demonstrated. Last, molecular cutoff could be adjusted by 0.1 Å by in situ expansion of the vacancy defects in an O2 atmosphere. Large CO2 and O2 permeances (>10,000 and 1000 GPU, respectively) are demonstrated accompanying attractive CO2/N2 and O2/N2 selectivities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiqi Huang
- Laboratory of Advanced Separations (LAS), École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1950 Sion, Switzerland
| | - Shaoxian Li
- Laboratory of Advanced Separations (LAS), École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1950 Sion, Switzerland
| | - Luis Francisco Villalobos
- Laboratory of Advanced Separations (LAS), École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1950 Sion, Switzerland
| | - Mostapha Dakhchoune
- Laboratory of Advanced Separations (LAS), École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1950 Sion, Switzerland
| | - Marina Micari
- Laboratory of Advanced Separations (LAS), École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1950 Sion, Switzerland
| | - Deepu J Babu
- Laboratory of Advanced Separations (LAS), École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1950 Sion, Switzerland
| | - Mohammad Tohidi Vahdat
- Laboratory of Advanced Separations (LAS), École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1950 Sion, Switzerland
| | - Mounir Mensi
- Institut des Sciences et Ingénierie Chimiques (ISIC), EPFL, 1950 Sion, Switzerland
| | - Emad Oveisi
- Interdisciplinary Centre for Electron Microscopy (CIME), EPFL, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Kumar Varoon Agrawal
- Laboratory of Advanced Separations (LAS), École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1950 Sion, Switzerland.
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33
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Recent progress of two-dimensional nanosheet membranes and composite membranes for separation applications. Front Chem Sci Eng 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s11705-020-2016-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
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34
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Gas separation using graphene nanosheet: insights from theory and simulation. J Mol Model 2020; 26:322. [PMID: 33118096 DOI: 10.1007/s00894-020-04581-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2020] [Accepted: 10/19/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
The investigation of porous graphene, especially experimental research, is a challenging issue in related academic and technology and has become a hot topic in recent years. It is well known that the preparation of porous graphene is a difficult problem in experimental techniques. To prepare nanoporous graphene, much attention must focus on the quality of nanoporous structures and throughput array pores. Therefore, a comprehensive summary as much as possible has been made to provide a better understanding of the progress. A summary of synthesis techniques, the properties of nanoporous graphene membranes from the synthesis point of view, and potential applications of porous graphene and graphene oxide for gas separation on the basis of theoretical studies were given attention in this paper. Gas separation, including carbon dioxide capture, gas storage, natural gas sweetening, and flue gas purification through porous graphene, is of great interest. Porous graphene with narrow pore distribution provides exciting opportunities in gas separation processes.
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35
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Hydrogen-sieving single-layer graphene membranes obtained by crystallographic and morphological optimization of catalytic copper foil. J Memb Sci 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.memsci.2020.118406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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36
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Cheng P, Kelly MM, Moehring NK, Ko W, Li AP, Idrobo JC, Boutilier MSH, Kidambi PR. Facile Size-Selective Defect Sealing in Large-Area Atomically Thin Graphene Membranes for Sub-Nanometer Scale Separations. NANO LETTERS 2020; 20:5951-5959. [PMID: 32628858 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.0c01934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Atomically thin graphene with a high-density of precise subnanometer pores represents the ideal membrane for ionic and molecular separations. However, a single large-nanopore can severely compromise membrane performance and differential etching between pre-existing defects/grain boundaries in graphene and pristine regions presents fundamental limitations. Here, we show for the first time that size-selective interfacial polymerization after high-density nanopore formation in graphene not only seals larger defects (>0.5 nm) and macroscopic tears but also successfully preserves the smaller subnanometer pores. Low-temperature growth followed by mild UV/ozone oxidation allows for facile and scalable formation of high-density (4-5.5 × 1012 cm-2) useful subnanometer pores in the graphene lattice. We demonstrate scalable synthesis of fully functional centimeter-scale nanoporous atomically thin membranes (NATMs) with water (∼0.28 nm) permeance ∼23× higher than commercially available membranes and excellent rejection to salt ions (∼0.66 nm, >97% rejection) as well as small organic molecules (∼0.7-1.5 nm, ∼100% rejection) under forward osmosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peifu Cheng
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37212, United States
| | - Mattigan M Kelly
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37212, United States
| | - Nicole K Moehring
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37212, United States
- Interdisciplinary Materials Science Program, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37212, United States
| | - Wonhee Ko
- Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
| | - An-Ping Li
- Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
| | - Juan Carlos Idrobo
- Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
| | - Michael S H Boutilier
- Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Western University, London, Ontario N6A 5B9, Canada
| | - Piran R Kidambi
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37212, United States
- Interdisciplinary Materials Science Program, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37212, United States
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Mahalingam DK, Falca G, Upadhya L, Abou-Hamad E, Batra N, Wang S, Musteata V, da Costa PM, Nunes SP. Spray-coated graphene oxide hollow fibers for nanofiltration. J Memb Sci 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.memsci.2020.118006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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38
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Cheng Y, Pu Y, Zhao D. Two‐Dimensional Membranes: New Paradigms for High‐Performance Separation Membranes. Chem Asian J 2020; 15:2241-2270. [DOI: 10.1002/asia.202000013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Youdong Cheng
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular EngineeringNational University of Singapore 4 Engineering Drive 4 117585 Singapore
| | - Yunchuan Pu
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular EngineeringNational University of Singapore 4 Engineering Drive 4 117585 Singapore
| | - Dan Zhao
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular EngineeringNational University of Singapore 4 Engineering Drive 4 117585 Singapore
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39
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Affiliation(s)
- Lydéric Bocquet
- Laboratoire de Physique de l'Ecole normale supérieure, ENS, Université PSL, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Université de Paris, Paris, France.
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40
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Amirilargani M, Yokota GN, Vermeij GH, Merlet RB, Delen G, Mandemaker LDB, Weckhuysen BM, Winnubst L, Nijmeijer A, de Smet LCPM, Sudhölter EJR. Melamine-Based Microporous Organic Framework Thin Films on an Alumina Membrane for High-Flux Organic Solvent Nanofiltration. CHEMSUSCHEM 2020; 13:136-140. [PMID: 31562787 PMCID: PMC6973050 DOI: 10.1002/cssc.201902341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2019] [Revised: 09/20/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Microporous polymer frameworks have attracted considerable attention to make novel separation layers owing to their highly porous structure, high permeability, and excellent molecular separation. This study concerns the fabrication and properties of thin melamine-based microporous polymer networks with a layer thickness of around 400 nm, supported on an α-alumina support and their potential use in organic solvent nanofiltration. The modified membranes show excellent solvent purification performances, such as n-heptane permeability as high as 9.2 L m-2 h-1 bar -1 in combination with a very high rejection of approximately 99 % for organic dyes with molecular weight of ≥457 Da. These values are higher than for the majority of the state-of-the-art membranes. The membranes further exhibit outstanding long-term operation stability. This work significantly expands the possibilities of using ceramic membranes in organic solvent nanofiltration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Amirilargani
- Department of Chemical EngineeringDelft University of TechnologyVan der Maasweg 92629 HZDelftThe Netherlands
| | - Giovana N. Yokota
- Department of Chemical EngineeringDelft University of TechnologyVan der Maasweg 92629 HZDelftThe Netherlands
| | - Gijs H. Vermeij
- Department of Chemical EngineeringDelft University of TechnologyVan der Maasweg 92629 HZDelftThe Netherlands
| | - Renaud B. Merlet
- Inorganic Membranes, MESA Institute for NanotechnologyUniversity of TwenteP.O. Box 2177500AEEnschedeThe Netherlands
| | - Guusje Delen
- Debye Institute for Nanomaterials ScienceUtrecht UniversityUniversiteitweg 993584 CGUtrechtThe Netherlands
| | - Laurens D. B. Mandemaker
- Debye Institute for Nanomaterials ScienceUtrecht UniversityUniversiteitweg 993584 CGUtrechtThe Netherlands
| | - Bert M. Weckhuysen
- Debye Institute for Nanomaterials ScienceUtrecht UniversityUniversiteitweg 993584 CGUtrechtThe Netherlands
| | - Louis Winnubst
- Inorganic Membranes, MESA Institute for NanotechnologyUniversity of TwenteP.O. Box 2177500AEEnschedeThe Netherlands
| | - Arian Nijmeijer
- Inorganic Membranes, MESA Institute for NanotechnologyUniversity of TwenteP.O. Box 2177500AEEnschedeThe Netherlands
| | - Louis C. P. M. de Smet
- Department of Chemical EngineeringDelft University of TechnologyVan der Maasweg 92629 HZDelftThe Netherlands
- Laboratory of Organic ChemistryWageningen University & ResearchStippeneg 46708 WEWageningenThe Netherlands
| | - Ernst J. R. Sudhölter
- Department of Chemical EngineeringDelft University of TechnologyVan der Maasweg 92629 HZDelftThe Netherlands
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41
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Cantley L, Swett JL, Lloyd D, Cullen DA, Zhou K, Bedworth PV, Heise S, Rondinone AJ, Xu Z, Sinton S, Bunch JS. Voltage gated inter-cation selective ion channels from graphene nanopores. NANOSCALE 2019; 11:9856-9861. [PMID: 31089608 DOI: 10.1039/c8nr10360g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
With the ability to selectively control ionic flux, biological protein ion channels perform a fundamental role in many physiological processes. For practical applications that require the functionality of a biological ion channel, graphene provides a promising solid-state alternative, due to its atomic thinness and mechanical strength. Here, we demonstrate that nanopores introduced into graphene membranes, as large as 50 nm in diameter, exhibit inter-cation selectivity with a ∼20× preference for K+ over divalent cations and can be modulated by an applied gate voltage. Liquid atomic force microscopy of the graphene devices reveals surface nanobubbles near the pore to be responsible for the observed selective behavior. Molecular dynamics simulations indicate that translocation of ions across the pore likely occurs via a thin water layer at the edge of the pore and the nanobubble. Our results demonstrate a significant improvement in the inter-cation selectivity displayed by a solid-state nanopore device and by utilizing the pores in a de-wetted state, offers an approach to fabricate selective graphene membranes that does not rely on the fabrication of sub-nm pores.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren Cantley
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA.
| | - Jacob L Swett
- Advanced Technology Center, Lockheed Martin Space, Palo Alto, California 94304, USA
| | - David Lloyd
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA.
| | - David A Cullen
- Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, USA
| | - Ke Zhou
- Applied Mechanics Laboratory, Department of Engineering Mechanics and Center for Nano and Micro Mechanics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Peter V Bedworth
- Advanced Technology Center, Lockheed Martin Space, Palo Alto, California 94304, USA
| | - Scott Heise
- Advanced Technology Center, Lockheed Martin Space, Palo Alto, California 94304, USA
| | - Adam J Rondinone
- Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, USA
| | - Zhiping Xu
- Applied Mechanics Laboratory, Department of Engineering Mechanics and Center for Nano and Micro Mechanics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Steve Sinton
- Advanced Technology Center, Lockheed Martin Space, Palo Alto, California 94304, USA
| | - J Scott Bunch
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA. and Division of Materials Science and Engineering, Boston University, Brookline, Massachusetts 02446, USA
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42
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Masih Das P, Thiruraman JP, Chou YC, Danda G, Drndić M. Centimeter-Scale Nanoporous 2D Membranes and Ion Transport: Porous MoS 2 Monolayers in a Few-Layer Matrix. NANO LETTERS 2019; 19:392-399. [PMID: 30532980 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.8b04155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Two-dimensional nanoporous membranes have received attention as catalysts for energy generation and membranes for liquid and gas purification but controlling their porosity and facilitating large-scale production is challenging. We show the growth and fabrication of centimeter-scale molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) membranes with tunable porous areas up to ∼ 10% of the membrane and average nanopore diameters as large as ∼ 30 nm, controlled by the etch time. We also measure ionic conductance between 0.1 and 16 μS per μm2 through variably etched nanoporous membranes. Ensuring the mechanical robustness and large-area of the membrane, bilayer and few-layer regions form a strong supporting matrix around monolayer regions, observed by aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy. During etching, nanopores form in thin, primarily monolayer areas whereas thicker multilayer regions remain essentially intact. Atomic-resolution imaging reveals that after exposure to the etchant, the number of V1Mo vacancies increases and nanopores form along grain boundaries in monolayers, suggesting that etching starts at intrinsic defect sites. This work provides an avenue for the scalable production of nanoporous atomically thin membranes.
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