Abstract
The collective "single-file" motion of water molecules through natural and artificial nanoconduits inspires the development of high-performance membranes for water separation. However, a material that contains a large number of pores combining rapid water flow with superior ion rejection is still highly desirable. Here, a 1.2 nm thick carbon nanomembrane (CNM) made from cross-linking of terphenylthiol (TPT) self-assembled monolayers is reported to possess these properties. Utilizing their extremely high pore density of 1 sub-nm channel nm-2 , TPT CNMs let water molecules rapidly pass, while the translocation of ions, including protons, is efficiently hindered. Their membrane resistance reaches ≈104 Ω cm2 in 1 m Cl- solutions, comparable to lipid bilayers of a cell membrane. Consequently, a single CNM channel yields an ≈108 higher resistance than pores in lipid membrane channels and carbon nanotubes. The ultrahigh ionic exclusion by CNMs is likely dominated by a steric hindrance mechanism, coupled with electrostatic repulsion and entrance effects. The operation of TPT CNM membrane composites in forward osmosis is also demonstrated. These observations highlight the potential of utilizing CNMs for water purification and opens up a simple avenue to creating 2D membranes through molecular self-assembly for highly selective and fast separations.
Highlights
The collective “single-file” motion of water molecules through natural and artiof artificial membranes to provide clean water for mankind, and the key is to create ficial nanoconduits inspires the development of high-performance membranes sized channels.[2,3] Commercially for water separation
The operation of TPT carbon nanomembrane (CNM) membrane composites in forward osmosis is demonstrated. These observations highlight the potential of utilizing CNMs for water purification and opens up a simple avenue to creating 2D membranes and Cl
We have recently reported molecular transport through ≈1.2 nm thick CNMs fabricated from terphenyl thiol (TPT) monolayers on Au(111) surface.[15]
Summary
Yang Yang,* Roland Hillmann, Yubo Qi, Riko Korzetz, Niklas Biere, Daniel Emmrich, Michael Westphal, Björn Büker, Andreas Hütten, André Beyer, Dario Anselmetti, and Armin Gölzhäuser*. A 1.2 nm thick carbon nanomembrane (CNM) made from cross-linking of terphenylthiol (TPT) self-assembled monolayers is reported to possess these used osmosis membranes are mostly derived from polymers whose chains are often randomly arranged leading to a broad pore size distribution.[4] Synthetic nanoconduits like carbon and boron nitride properties Utilizing their extremely high pore density of 1 sub-nm channel nanotubes,[5,6,7] as well as pores made by nm−2, TPT CNMs let water molecules rapidly pass, while the translocation organic synthesis,[8] enable a molecularof ions, including protons, is efficiently hindered. We note that the transport of protons in water is commonly illuminated by the Grotthuss mechanism,[26] where protons can move along the channel by hopping from
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