Superfast Water Transport Zwitterionic Polymeric Nanofluidic Membrane Reinforced by Metal-Organic Frameworks.

Nanofluidics derived from low-dimensional nanosheets and protein nanochannels are crucial for advanced catalysis, sensing, and separation. However, polymer nanofluidics is halted by complicated preparation and miniaturized sizes. This work reports the bottom-up synthesis of modular nanofluidics by confined growth of ultrathin metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) in a polymer membrane consisting of zwitterionic dopamine nanoparticles (ZNPs). The confined growth of the MOFs on the ZNPs reduces the chain entanglement between the ZNPs, leading to stiff interfacial channels enhancing the nanofluidic transport of water molecules through the membrane. As such, the water permeability and solute selectivity of MOF@ZNPM are one magnitude improved, leading to a record-high performance among all polymer nanofiltration membranes. Both the experimental work and the molecular dynamics simulations confirm that the water transport is shifted from high-friction-resistance conventional viscous flow to ultrafast nanofluidic flow as a result of rigid and continuous nanochannels in MOF@ZNPM.

Recent Advances in the Fabrication of Membranes Containing "Ion Pairs" for Nanofiltration Processes.

In the face of serious environmental pollution and water scarcity problems, the membrane separation technique, especially high efficiency, low energy consumption, and environmental friendly nanofiltration, has been quickly developed. Separation membranes with high permeability, good selectivity, and strong antifouling properties are critical for water treatment and green chemical processing. In recent years, researchers have paid more and more attention to the development of high performance nanofiltration membranes containing "ion pairs". In this review, the effects of "ion pairs" characteristics, such as the super-hydrophilicity, controllable charge character, and antifouling property, on nanofiltration performances are discussed. A systematic survey was carried out on the various approaches and multiple regulation factors in the fabrication of polyelectrolyte complex membranes, zwitterionic membranes, and charged mosaic membranes, respectively. The mass transport behavior and antifouling mechanism of the membranes with "ion pairs" are also discussed. Finally, we present a brief perspective on the future development of advanced nanofiltration membranes with "ion pairs".