Facile tunning the morphology and porosity of a superwetting conjugated microporous polymers

Kinetic study of electron transfer process in methyl orange decolorization by shewanella in MFCs with covalent organic frameworks modified anode

As a new electrode material for electrochemical systems, covalent organic framework (COF) materials have been gradually applied to bioelectrochemical systems. In our previous study, the COFBTA-DPPD-rGO composite was synthesized via Schiff-base coupling between benzene-1,3,5-tricarbaldehyde (BTA) and 3,8-diamino-6-phenylphenanthridine (DPPD) on reduced graphene oxide (rGO) at room temperature. Here, COFBTA-DPPD-rGO modified MFC anode was used to assist microorganisms to decolorize methyl orange (MO), and the properties of MFCs were studied. The results showed that compared to the unmodified electrode MFC (28 mA m-2, 4.20 mW m-2) the current density and maximum power density of the anode MFC modified by COFBTA-DPPD-rGO (134.5 mA m-2, 21.78 mW m-2) were increased by 380.3% and 423.6%, respectively. The transferred electron number n and charge transfer coefficient α of the modified COFBTA-DPPD-rGO anode (4 and 0.43) compared to the unmodified electrode (2.4 and 0.38) were increased by 67% and 13%, respectively. The decolorization ratio of MO could reach 90.3% at 10 h. Compared with the unmodified electrode MFC (53.0%), the decolorization ratio and kinetic constant of decolorization process were enhanced by 26% and 372%, respectively. Therefore, COFBTA-DPPD-rGO could be a new choice for applying to the MFCs.

Bio-inspired materials to control and minimise insect attachment

More than three quarters of all animal species on Earth are insects, successfully inhabiting most ecosystems on the planet. Due to their opulence, insects provide the backbone of many biological processes, but also inflict adverse impacts on agricultural and stored products, buildings and human health. To countermeasure insect pests, the interactions of these animals with their surroundings have to be fully understood. This review focuses on the various forms of insect attachment, natural surfaces that have evolved to counter insect adhesion, and particularly features recently developed synthetic bio-inspired solutions. These bio-inspired solutions often enhance the variety of applicable mechanisms observed in nature and open paths for improved technological solutions that are needed in a changing global society.

Two-Dimensional Fluorinated Covalent Organic Frameworks with Tunable Hydrophobicity for Ultrafast Oil-Water Separation

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) hold great potentials for addressing the challenge of highly efficient oil-water separation, but they are restricted by the poor wettability and processability as crystalline membranes. Here we report the design and synthesis of two-dimensional (2D) robust COFs with controllable hydrophobicity and processability, allowing the COF layers to be directly grown on the support surfaces. Three 2D COFs with AA or ABC stacking are prepared by condensation of triamines with fluorine and/or isopropyl groups and perfluorodialdehyde. They all show excellent tolerance to water, acid, and base, with water contact angles (CA) of 111.5-145.8°. The two COFs with isopropyl and fluorine mixtures can grow as a coating on a stainless-steel net (SSN) substrate, whereas the one with only fluorine substituents cannot. The superhydrophobic COF@SSN coating with water CA of up to 150.1° displays high water-resistance and self-cleaning properties, enabling high oil-water separation performances with an efficiency of over 99.5 % and a permeation flux of 2.84×10⁵  L m^-2  h^-1 , which are among the highest values reported for state-of-the-art membranes.

Superhydrophobic/Superoleophilic MOF Composites for Oil-Water Separation

A universal strategy is developed to construct metal-organic framework (MOF)-based superhydrophobic/superoleophilic materials by the reaction of activated MOFs and octadecylamine. In particular, S-MIL-101(Cr) composite can efficiently separate chloroform, toluene, petroleum ether, and n-hexane from water with excellent oil-water separation performance, with potential application in the environmental field.

Synthesis of aminopyridine-containing conjugated microporous polymers with excellent superhydrophobicity for oil/water separation

Aminopyridine-containing conjugated microporous polymer based membranes with excellent superhydrophobicity for continuous oil/water separation on a large scale.