Boosting membrane carbon capture via multifaceted polyphenol-mediated soldering

Bin Zhu, Shanshan He, Yan Yang, Songwei Li, Cher Hon Lau, Shaomin Liu, Lu Shao*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract / Description of output

Advances in membrane technologies are significant for mitigating global climate
change because of their low cost and easy operation. Although mixedmatrix
membranes (MMMs) obtained via the combination of metal-organic
frameworks (MOFs) and a polymer matrix are promising for energy-efficient
gas separation, the achievement of a desirable match between polymers and
MOFs for the development of advanced MMMs is challenging, especially when
emerging highly permeable materials such as polymers of intrinsic microporosity
(PIMs) are deployed. Here, we report a molecular soldering strategy
featuring multifunctional polyphenols in tailored polymer chains, welldesigned
hollow MOF structures, and defect-free interfaces. The exceptional
adhesion nature of polyphenols results in dense packing and visible stiffness of
PIM-1 chains with strengthened selectivity. The architecture of the hollow
MOFs leads to free mass transfer and substantially improves permeability.
These structural advantages act synergistically to break the permeability-selectivity trade-off limit inMMMs and surpass the conventional upper bound.
This polyphenol molecular soldering method has been validated for various
polymers, providing a universal pathway to prepare advanced MMMs with
desirable performance for diverse applications beyond carbon capture.
Original languageEnglish
Article number1697
Pages (from-to)1697
JournalNature Communications
Volume14
Issue number1
Early online date27 Mar 2023
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Dec 2023

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