article · Nature Communications
Two-dimensional materials used in membrane separation require precise control over interlayer spacing and surface functionality. Intercalating anions into protonated graphite phase carbon nitride allows fine-tuning of these membrane properties for selective permeation across both aqueous and organic solutions. Introducing sulfate anions creates a crystalline, amphipathic membrane featuring an accessible interlayer spacing of approximately 10.8 ångströms. This structure achieves high solvent permeability whilst effectively sieving out solutes that exceed the spacing dimension. Applying this approach with chiral molecules, specifically (1R)-(-)-10-camphorsulfonic anions, yields a specialised chiral membrane. This modified membrane demonstrates a molecular weight cut-off around 150 among different enantiomers and delivers highly enantioselective permeation of limonene racemate, attaining an enantiomeric excess value of 89 percent. The method provides an adaptable route for laminated membrane designs.
Separating tiny chemical compounds and molecules that are mirror images of each other is an expensive and difficult challenge across chemistry and manufacturing. By chemically tuning the spacing inside two-dimensional layered materials, membranes can be tailored to filter out specific dissolved substances, offering improved precision for clean water production and complex chemical purifications.
The findings point to applications in water purification and chiral separation, relevant to industrial water treatment facilities and fine-chemical or pharmaceutical manufacturers. Because the study presents laboratory-scale membrane fabrication and test separations with model compounds such as limonene racemate, the technology remains at an early experimental stage rather than near commercial deployment.
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Precise control of interlayer spacing and functionality is crucial in two-dimensional material based membrane separation technology. Here we show anion intercalation in protonated graphite phase carbon nitride (GCN) that tunes the interlayer spacing and functions of GCN-based membranes for selective permeation in aqueous/organic solutions. Sulfate anion intercalation leads to a crystalline and amphipathic membrane with an accessible interlayer spacing at ~10.8 Å, which allows high solvent permeability and sieves out the solutes with sizes larger than the spacing. We further extend the concept and illustrate the example of GCN-based chiral membrane via incorporating (1R)-(-)-10-camphorsulfonic anion into protonated GCN layers. The membrane exhibits a molecular weight cutoff around 150 among various enantiomers and highly enantioselective permeation towards limonene racemate with an enantiomeric excess value of 89%. This work paves a feasible way to achieve water purification and chiral separation technologies using decorated laminated membranes.
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-10381-z
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