Diamine Functionalization of a Metal-Organic Framework by Exploiting Solvent Polarity for Enhanced CO2 Adsorption

Hybrid Eu(II)-bromide scintillators with efficient 5d-4f bandgap transition for X-ray imaging

Luminescent metal halides are attracting growing attention as scintillators for X-ray imaging in safety inspection, medical diagnosis, etc. Here we present brand-new hybrid Eu(II)-bromide scintillators, 1D type [Et4N]EuBr3·MeOH and 0D type [Me4N]6Eu5Br16·MeOH, with spin-allowed 5d-4f bandgap transition emission toward simplified carrier transport during scintillation process. The 1D/0D structures with edge/face -sharing [EuBr6]4- octahedra further contribute to lowing bandgaps and enhancing quantum confinement effect, enabling efficient scintillation performance (light yield ~73100 ± 800 Ph MeV-1, detect limit ~18.6 nGy s-1, X-ray afterglow ~ 1% @ 9.6 μs). We demonstrate the X-ray imaging with 27.3 lp mm-1 resolution by embedding Eu(II)-based scintillators into AAO film. Our results create the new family of low-dimensional rare-earth-based halides for scintillation and related optoelectronic applications.

Regulating the Layered Stacking of a Covalent Triazine Framework Membrane for Aromatic/Aliphatic Separation

Membrane separation of aromatics and aliphatics is a crucial requirement in chemical and petroleum industries. However, this task presents a significant challenge due to the lack of membrane materials that can endure harsh solvents, exhibit molecular specificity, and facilitate easy processing. Herein, we present a novel approach to fabricate a covalent triazine framework (CTF) membrane by employing a mix-monomer strategy. By incorporating a spatial monomer alongside a planar monomer, we were able to subtly modulate both the pore aperture and membrane affinity, enabling preferential permeation of aromatics over aliphatics with molecular weight below 200 Dalton (Da). Consequently, we achieved successful all-liquid phase separation of aromatic/aliphatic mixtures. Our investigation revealed that the synergistic effects of size sieving and the affinity between the permeating molecules and the membrane played a pivotal role in separating these closely resembling species. Furthermore, the membrane exhibited remarkable robustness under practical operating conditions, including prolonged operation time, various feed compositions, different applied pressure, and multiple feed components. This versatile strategy offers a feasible approach to fabricate membranes with molecule selectivity toward aromatic/aliphatic mixtures, taking a significant step forward in addressing the grand challenge of separating small organic molecules through membrane technology.