Molecular Sieve Research Articles

Emerging Micromolecule-based Aqueous Two-phase Systems and Their Application in Biofuels

Aqueous two-phase system (ATPS) is a system composed of two incompatible solutions, which has excellent performance for extracting proteins, antibiotics, and other bioactive molecules, so it is a very simple, efficient, and green extraction and separation method. In this paper, we introduced three different emerging micromolecule-based ATPSs and introduced their characteristics, applications, advantages, and disadvantages respectively. This is of guiding significance for the synthesis of new ATPSs. One of the important prospects of this ATPS in industrial application is the separation and purification of fermentation-based biofuel. Adding a salt, sugar, or ionic liquid to a biofuel solution can remove most of the water, enabling efficient recovery and dehydration of biofuel. The two-step process can replace the traditional distillation and molecular sieve adsorption processes to obtain high-purity bioalcohols, thus introducing a new purification process for biofuel. An in-depth analysis of the separation performance of the emerging micromolecule-based ATPSs as well as an objective indication of their application provides valuable insights for further optimization and application of this kind of ATPSs in separation science.

Preparation of CYCU‐3/MCM‐41 Composites and Adsorption Properties for n‐Hexane

AbstractAdsorption method is one of the effective technologies for treating VOCs. Compared with activated carbon, silicon‐based materials have well‐ordered pore structure, good thermal stability and non‐flammability. In this paper, CYCU‐3/MCM‐41 composites were prepared by hydrothermal method through mixing MCM‐41 powder in situ. The nitrogen adsorption isotherms, saturation adsorption and cyclic adsorption/desorption curves of n‐hexane on CYCU‐3/MCM‐41 composites were experimentally measured. The results displayed that the CYCU‐3/MCM‐41 (3) exhibited the largest BET specific surface area (1631 m2/g). And its n‐hexane adsorption capacity was 776 mg/g, which was 19.4 % higher than that of MCM‐41, 1.42 times that of activated carbon, and 2.64 times that of molecular sieve. The kinetic fitting results showed that the pseudo‐first order kinetic model can more precisely embody the n‐hexane adsorption process on CYCU‐3/MCM‐41 composites, and the W‐M intraparticle diffusion model confirmed that intraparticle diffusion was not the only control step for the adsorption rate of n‐hexane on CYCU‐3/MCM‐41 composites. In addition, the regenerative rate of CYCU‐3/MCM‐41 (3) was over 98.9 % after ten adsorption and desorption cycles of n‐hexane, showing good desorption performance and excellent structural stability, and proving its broad application prospect in the field of VOCs treatment.

HZSM-5 supported with N-doped Fe for microwave catalytic pyrolysis of lignin

Microwave catalytic pyrolysis of lignin is one of emerging technologies for efficiently converting lignin into fuels and chemicals. Molecular sieves (HZSM-5) are widely used as carriers to load metallic components for biomass pyrolysis but often encounter challenges such as high diffusion resistance and insufficient acidity of acidic sites. Traditionally, HZSM-5 is directly modified to enhance the activity of the acidic sites, but this modification is ineffective in improving the metallic components’ activity. Instead, we made nitrogen doping on Fe and then supported on HZSM-5 to construct Fe-N25/HZSM-5 catalysts for microwave catalytic pyrolysis of lignin. The N-doped Fe has the effect of “killing two birds with one stone” on enhancing the catalytic activity. The characterization results indicated that N replaced C of the graphitic carbon network to form carbon nitride structure, and further combined with Fe to generate Fe-N bonds, improving the electronegativity of the metallic component. Besides, the loading of N-doped Fe increased the acidity of the catalyst. The utilization of 1.00Fe-N25/HZSM-5 obtained the greatest bio-gas yield (35.2 wt%), a hydrogen yield of 27.8 mL/min, bio-oil yield (36.4 wt%) and phenol selectivity of 46.2 %. The likely pathway of microwave catalytic pyrolysis on Fe-N25/HZSM-5 was proposed through DFT calculation, using guaiacol as a model compound. The results suggested that N-doped Fe on HZSM-5 8 T tended to break the side-chain methoxy during pyrolysis of guaiacol, with energy barrier of 0.14 eV. This paper provides a promising strategy for modification of microwave pyrolysis catalysts.

Eliminating Hydrogen Fluoride through Piperidine‐Doped Separators for Stable Li Metal Batteries with Nickel‐Rich Cathodes

AbstractHydrofluoric acid (HF)‐induced electrode and interfacial structure degeneration poses a significant challenge for high‐voltage lithium metal batteries (LMBs). To address this issue, we propose a separator strategy that involves decorating a regular polyethylene (PE) separator with molecular sieves (TW) impregnated with piperidine (PI). The porous structure of the TW serves as a reaction chamber for PI and HF. As a result, the HF content in the controlled electrolyte with 500 ppm H2O (ELE‐500) is notably reduced when using TW@PI‐PE separators, thereby shielding nickel‐rich cathodes from HF etching. Simultaneously, due to the hydrolysis of Li salts, and the inertness of PI towards H2O, a uniform lithium fluoride (LiF)‐rich solid electrolyte interphase can form on the Li metal anode, further mitigating dendrite formation. The lifespan of the symmetric Li cell using the TW@PI‐PE separator is doubled in ELE‐500, exhibiting stable 500‐hour cycles at 3 mA cm−2 and 3 mAh cm−2. Additionally, with the effective limitation of transition metal (TM) dissolution, the 4.6‐V LMBs employing a LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2 cathode maintain an 81 % capacity retention over 100 cycles, even in ELE‐1000. The innovative TW@PI system presented here offers a fresh perspective for future research aimed at eliminating HF in LMBs.

An electrochemical sensor for simultaneous voltammetric detection of ascorbic acid and dopamine enabled by higher electrocatalytic activity of co-modified MCM-41 mesoporous molecular sieve

It is of great value to develop effective methods for accurately and simultaneously detecting ascorbic acid (AA) and dopamine (DA) in the field of biochemistry. This work reports a nonenzymatic electrochemical sensor for the simultaneous detection of AA and DA by employing a Co-modified MCM-41 (CoMCM-41) mesoporous molecular sieve as an efficient electrocatalytic material, which was synthesized by a two-step hydrothermal method. Subsequently, the high structural organization of the CoMCM-41 mesoporous structure was characterized, and the electrocatalytic performance of CoMCM-41 toward AA and DA oxidation was then evidenced by the catalytic effect of different electrodes modified with or without CoMCM-41. By virtue of the superior electrocatalytic activity of the CoMCM-41, a much wider peak potential difference (ΔEpa) of 310 mV was obtained for the oxidation of AA and DA in their mixture solution, and the parameters that influenced the electrochemical signals of the modified electrode were also optimized. Under optimal conditions, a good linear response to AA and DA was observed on the CoMCM-41 modified electrode. For individual detection of AA and DA, the linear ranges were 7 ~ 105 μM and 5 ~ 110 μM respectively, while the linear response range was 20 ~ 100 μM for simultaneous detection of AA and DA. Satisfactory recovery results were obtained when the fabricated sensor was applied to determine AA in orange juice and DA in madopar pill samples.

A Review of the Technological Aspects and Process Optimization of Bioethanol Production From Corn Stover Biomass: Pretreatment Process, Hydrolysis, Fermentation, Purification Process, and Future Perspective

ABSTRACTBioethanol, a sustainable energy solution derived from renewable biomass, has gained prominence, with corn stover emerging as a substantial biomass resource in Indonesia. Corn stover, a corn residue, is one of the top three agricultural wastes worldwide and is abundantly available. However, a significant portion of corn stover is burned in fields rather than utilized for bioethanol production, whereas it has potential as a bioethanol feedstock. As the world strives to realize sustainable and environmentally friendly energy security, bioethanol production from corn stover can be one of the solutions to be developed. Nonetheless, the current immaturity of bioethanol production technology is one of the causes of large‐scale production failure. The present paper comprehensively reviews the technological aspects and process optimization of bioethanol production using corn stover as a feedstock comprising pretreatment, hydrolysis, fermentation, and bioethanol purification processes. According to our critical review, ammonia fiber expansion (AFEX) pretreatment is the most effective conventional pretreatment, with glucose yield up to 90%. Moreover, ultrasound appears to be the most viable option for nonconventional pretreatment of corn stover for producing bioethanol. However, combining ultrasound pretreatment and dilute aqueous ammonia produced 80.6% sugar output. Furthermore, enzymatic hydrolysis emerges as the most effective saccharification, yielding up to 81.39%. Moreover, the fermentation process of corn stover with the saccharification and co‐fermentation (SScF) method and the process optimization with response surface methodology (RSM) could produce bioethanol with a concentration of up to 59.8 g/L and 92.07% ethanol yield, respectively. This review also reveals that pervaporation for the purification process is the best choice for producing bioethanol with high purity up to > 99%. In addition, this method could reduce the energy used by 6.6% lower, 24.2% lower carbon footprint, and have the lowest total capital and production costs compared to conventional molecular sieves and extractive distillation. We believe this review article can provide a reference for selecting the best bioethanol production process from corn stover for further research.

Innovative thermal crosslinked polyimide gas separation membrane with highly selective and resistance to physical aging base on phenyl ethynyl

In this study, a high performance phenyl ethynyl thermal crosslinked 6FDA-based polyimide (CR-4ETA-x) was developed, which has high gas permeability and selectivity, resistance to physical aging. By introducing 4,4′-(Acetylene-1,2-diyl) diphthalic anhydride (4ETA) monomer into the polyimide structure, the thermal crosslinking precursor membrane was formed. The precursor membrane was heat treated at 440℃ to obtain CR-4ETA-x. After heat treatment, we detected the olefin radical in the crosslinked membrane by electron paramagnetic resonance, which proved that the polyimide network was formed. This allows the crosslinked membrane to have greater d-spacing, higher rigidity, and BET surface area. The CO2 permeability of CR-4ETA-5% is 4114 barrer and the CO2/CH4 selectivity is 19.22. Compared to 6FDA-DAM, the CO2 permeability increased by 477% while the selectivity decreased by only 17%. CR-4ETA-20% shows the CO2 permeability of 3560 Barrer and CO2/CH4 selectivity of 21.1 in CO2/CH4 mixed-gas. After 60 days of aging the permeability maintenance of CR-4ETA-20% were 88%, 84%, 83% and 91% for O2, N2, CO2 and CH4. In addition, in the long-term stability test of more than 100 h, the separation performance of CR-4ETA-20% did not decrease significantly. However, CR-4ETA-x also has limitations, such as poor stability in alkaline environments and lower gas permeability than some advanced carbon molecular sieve membranes. In general, the method of phenyl ethynyl thermal crosslinking provides an effective way for the development of CO2 separation membranes with possible applications.

Synthesis of Hierarchical MeAPO-5 Molecular Sieve and Optimization of its Catalytic Oxidation of Benzene to Phenol Based on Response Surface Method

Synthesis of Hierarchical MeAPO-5 Molecular Sieve and Optimization of its Catalytic Oxidation of Benzene to Phenol Based on Response Surface Method

Ultrathin membranes comprising polymers of intrinsic microporosity oligomers for high-performance organic solvent nanofiltration

Microporous organic polymers (MOPs) featuring chemically rigid backbones and permanent micropores are desirable for fabricating molecular selective membranes towards organics separation. However, coordinating facile film processing with high micropore persistence remains a challenge. In this paper, a low molecular weight polymers of intrinsic microporosity was rationally designed by precisely controlling the stoichiometric equilibrium of polymerization monomer. The polymers of intrinsic microporosity oligomers combine rigid and contorted structures with the aqueous solution processability, promoting the formation of 25-nm-thick polyacrylamide nanofilms with enhanced microporosity via support-free interfacial polymerization (SFIP). The resulting composite membranes have superior retention of small molecular solutes and high nonpolar and polar solvent permeances. Experiment and simulation results show that their excellent separation performance is due to substantially open and interconnected microporosity formed in the polymer networks based on rigid and contorted diamines as well as reduced film thickness. This study provides a new sight for using MOPs to construct high-microporosity membranes for precise and rapid molecular sieving.

Incorporation of enzyme-mimic species in porous materials for the construction of porous biomimetic catalysts.

The unique catalytic properties of natural enzymes have inspired chemists to develop biomimetic catalyst platforms for the intention of retaining the unique functions and solving the application limitations of enzymes, such as high costs, instability and unrecyclable ability. Porous materials possess unique advantages for the construction of biomimetic catalysts, such as high surface areas, thermal stability, permanent porosity and tunability. These characteristics make them ideal porous matrices for the construction of biomimetic catalysts by immobilizing enzyme-mimic active sites inside porous materials. The developed porous biomimetic catalysts demonstrate high activity, selectivity and stability. In this feature article, we categorize and discuss the recently developed strategies for introducing enzyme-mimic active species inside porous materials, which are based on the type of employed porous materials, including metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), covalent organic frameworks (COFs), molecular sieves, porous metal silicate (PMS) materials and porous carbon materials. The advantages and limitations of these porous materials-based biomimetic catalysts are discussed, and the challenges and future directions in this field are also highlighted.

Electric Field Mediated Unclogging of Angstrom-Scale Channels.

Angstrom-scale fluidic channels offer immense potential for applications in areas such as desalination, molecular sieving, biomolecular sequencing, and dialysis. Inspired by biological ion channels, nano- and angstrom (Å)-scale channels are fabricated that mimic these molecular or atomic-scale dimensions. At the Å-scale, these channels exhibit unique phenomena, including selective ion transport, osmotic energy generation, fast water and gas flows, and neuromorphic ion memory. However, practical utilization of Å-scale channels is often hindered by contamination, which can clog these nanochannels. In this context, a promising technique is introduced here for unclogging 2D channels, particularly those with sub-nanometre dimensions (≈6.8 Å). The voltage-cycling method emerges as an efficient and reliable solution for this challenge. The electric field effectively dislodges contaminants from the clogged Å-scale channels, facilitating ion and molecular transport. This study provides practical guidelines for reviving clogged nano- and Å-scale channels, thereby enhancing their applicability in various ion and molecular transport applications.

Preparation and oxidative desulfurization performances of modified SBA-15 supported polyacid metal oxolates

In this study, eight composite catalysts were prepared by loading (CTAB)3H3[PW9V3O40] (active components) onto amino-functionalized mesoporous titanium silicate Ti-SBA-15(supports). In order to study the effects of different Ti contents and different active components on the catalytic performances of the catalysts, 30 %(CTAB)3H3[PW9V3O40]/NH2–Ti-SBA-X (X = 0, 25, 50, 75, 100) and X%(CTAB)3H3[PW9V3O40]/NH2–Ti-SBA-50 (X = 20, 40, 50) were obtained and characterized. The oxidative desulfurization performances of the composite catalysts were explored. It was found that catalyst 40 %(CTAB)3H3[PW9V3O40]/NH2–Ti-SBA-50 exhibits the optimal oxidative desulfurization performance. This is because the incorporation of SBA-15 with an appropriate amount of Ti (n(Si)/n(Ti) = 50) can improve the acidity and stability of mesoporous silica. The successful substitution of CTAB (n(CTAB)/n(H6PW9V3O40) = 3) in the active component can reduce the mass transfer resistance and speed up the reaction rate. 3-Aminopropyltriethyl silane (APTES) acts as a silane coupling agent to graft amino groups onto mesoporous molecular sieve SBA-15, which can enhance the interaction between heteropolyacids and carriers. Under the synergistic effect of the active component and the support, the total removal rate of the optimal catalyst with a total concentration of 1000 ppm sulfur compounds in the simulated fuel was 94.44 %. After four cycles, the total desulfurization rate of the catalyst can reach 91.28 %.

Construction of PTFE/PI-PI/PANI-PA composite nanofibrous membrane for efficient photothermal membrane distillation and VOCs interception

Water-soluble volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are one of the difficult substances in seawater and industrial wastewater treatment. Photothermal membrane distillation (PMD) technology has great advantages in solving the problems of low energy conversion efficiency and serious pollution of traditional membrane distillation (MD) technology, but it still faces the challenge that VOCs cannot be effectively removed.To solve this problem, we prepared photothermal Polytetrafluoroethylene/Polyimide-Polyimide/Polyaniline-Polyamide (PTFE/PI-PI/PANI-PA) composite membranes with VOCs interception. The composite membrane was fabricated by applying the previously studied PTFE/PI-PI/PANI/PANI membrane by interfacially polymerising an ultrathin PA layer with controllable pore sizes. Among them, the PTFE/PI-PI/PANI base membrane in the composite membrane not only provides strong support and durability as a backbone structure, but the PANI photothermal layer also provides photothermal conversion for effective PMD operation. In addition, the ultra-thin PA layer acts as a molecular sieve separator to effectively intercept VOCs in the feed solution. When the feed solution was 35 g⋅L−1 NaCl, the average permeate flux of the #M-PA-0.1 membrane was 1.44 ± 0.02 L⋅m−2⋅h−1 with a salt interception rate of 99.99 % or more after 80 h of PMD testing. Meanwhile, when 50 mg⋅L−1 of VOCs was added to the feed solution, the VOCs retention rate >99.35 %, and the concentration of VOCs on the permeate side was much lower than the corresponding concentration in the drinking water standards recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This study effectively combines the molecular sieve effect with the solar-powered evaporation process, which provides a research basis for the preparation of high-performance PMD membranes that can effectively remove volatile organic compounds.

Abnormal Gas Generation during First Discharge Process of Sodium Ion Battery.

In recent years, sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) have attracted a lot of attention and are considered an ideal alternative to lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). The hard carbon (HC) anode in SIBs presents a unique challenge for studying the formation process of the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) during initial cycling, owing to its distinctive porous structure. This study employs a combination of ultrasonic scanning techniques and differential electrochemical mass spectrometry to conduct an in-depth analysis of the two-dimensional distribution and composition of gases during the formation process. The findings reveal distinct gas evolution behaviors in SIBs compared to LIBs during formation. Notably, significant gas evolution is observed during the discharge phase of the formation cycle in SIBs, with higher discharge rates leading to increased gas evolution rates. This phenomenon is likely attributed to the adsorption of CO2 gas by the abundant pores in HC, followed by desorption during discharge. Furthermore, the study demonstrates that the addition of 5A molecular sieves, which competitively adsorb gases, effectively reduces gas adsorption on the anode during formation, thereby significantly enhancing battery performance. This research elucidates the gas adsorption and desorption behavior at the battery interface, providing new insights into the SEI formation process in SIBs.

Abnormal Gas Generation during First Discharge Process of Sodium Ion Battery

AbstractIn recent years, sodium‐ion batteries (SIBs) have attracted a lot of attention and are considered an ideal alternative to lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs). The hard carbon (HC) anode in SIBs presents a unique challenge for studying the formation process of the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) during initial cycling, owing to its distinctive porous structure. This study employs a combination of ultrasonic scanning techniques and differential electrochemical mass spectrometry to conduct an in‐depth analysis of the two‐dimensional distribution and composition of gases during the formation process. The findings reveal distinct gas evolution behaviors in SIBs compared to LIBs during formation. Notably, significant gas evolution is observed during the discharge phase of the formation cycle in SIBs, with higher discharge rates leading to increased gas evolution rates. This phenomenon is likely attributed to the adsorption of CO2 gas by the abundant pores in HC, followed by desorption during discharge. Furthermore, the study demonstrates that the addition of 5A molecular sieves, which competitively adsorb gases, effectively reduces gas adsorption on the anode during formation, thereby significantly enhancing battery performance. This research elucidates the gas adsorption and desorption behavior at the battery interface, providing new insights into the SEI formation process in SIBs.

Techno-Economic Analysis of a Carbon Molecular Sieve-Based Xylene Isomer Purification Process.

The separation and purification of xylene isomers is critical to the production of polyethylene terephthalate (PET). These separations are complex to operate and demand tremendous amounts of energy and thus are an opportunity for reducing industrial energy consumption. Membranes provide a low-energy footprint technology with simpler operation, and recently, membrane materials have been developed that are capable of separating xylene isomers. While these materials have demonstrated the ability to separate xylenes, they have yet to be commercially deployed. This work conducts a techno-economic analysis (TEA) to provide insight on the commercial attractiveness of a p-xylene selective carbon molecular sieve (CMS) membrane from both a cost and energy standpoint. This TEA was conducted through the pairing of a Maxwell-Stefan transport framework for rigid microporous materials with process modeling. Single-stage organic solvent reverse osmosis (OSRO) and pervaporation processes were used to evaluate the effects of recovery, selectivity, and diffusivity on the energy intensity and cost of the xylene separation. The final analysis used two systems, a single pervaporation stage followed by two OSRO stages, which was compared against a three-stage OSRO cascade. These were benchmarked against the commercial Parex process. We estimate that the membrane processes have the potential to enable impressive cost savings compared to the Parex process. While both systems outperformed the Parex process in terms of cost, the pervaporation/OSRO hybrid process was able to achieve the lowest cost of all due to its reduced membrane surface area compared to standalone OSRO. These findings demonstrate the potential of membrane systems in the field of difficult small molecule solvent separations.

Research progress of Mn-based low-temperature SCR denitrification catalysts.

Selective catalytic reduction (SCR) is a efficiently nitrogen oxides removal technology from stationary source flue gases. Catalysts are key component in the technology, but currently face problems including poor low-temperature activity, narrow temperature windows, low selectivity, and susceptibility to water passivation and sulphur dioxide poisoning. To develop high-efficiency low-temperature denitrification activity catalyst, manganese-based catalysts have become a focal point of research globally for low-temperature SCR denitrification catalysts. This article investigates the denitrification efficiency of unsupported manganese-based catalysts, exploring the influence of oxidation valence, preparation method, crystallinity, crystal form, and morphology structure. It examines the catalytic performance of binary and multicomponent unsupported manganese-based catalysts, focusing on the use of transition metals and rare earth metals to modify manganese oxide. Furthermore, the synergistic effect of supported manganese-based catalysts is studied, considering metal oxides, molecular sieves, carbon materials, and other materials (composite carriers and inorganic non-metallic minerals) as supports. The reaction mechanism of low-temperature denitrification by manganese-based catalysts and the mechanism of sulphur dioxide/water poisoning are analysed in detail, and the development of practical and efficient manganese-based catalysts is considered.

Novel framework-confined Cu@ 13X catalyst with excellent resistance to toxic SO2 as an eco-friendly substitute for hazardous V-based NH3-SCR catalyst

V2O5-WO3/TiO2 (VWTi) catalyst has long been utilized in fixed source flue gases to purify harmful NO gas. However, VWTi is classified as a hazardous material because of its harm to human health and environment. To address this issue, a low-cost green Cu-based zeolite catalyst (Cu@13X) with a wide temperature range was synthesized using an in-situ hydrothermal method. This method is intended to control the adsorption capacity of toxic SO2 by regulating the location of Cu species. UV-Vis DRS and EXAFS analyses revealed that a significant amount of Cu was encapsulated within the 12-membered ring pores of the 13X molecular sieve. SO2-TPD and DFT calculations further indicated that Cu@ 13X exhibits reduced SO2 chemical adsorption capacity. Consequently, this green catalyst demonstrated superior catalytic performance, maintaining superior NOx conversion for over 70 h in the mixture gas containing 250 ppm SO2; while the Cu/13X catalyst lacked NH3-SCR catalytic activity under the same conditions. Moreover, Cu@ 13X catalyst also has excellent NH3-SCR catalytic performance in low temperature flue gas below 250 °C, which is significantly better than the hazardous VWTi catalyst. Characterization techniques such as NH3-TPD, H2-TPR, and XPS confirmed that the Cu@ 13X catalyst possesses excellent acidity, robust redox capabilities, and abundant surface defects. In-situ DRIFT spectra further illustrated that the NH3-SCR reaction on the catalyst surface adheres to the Eley-Rideal mechanism both before and after the introduction of toxic SO2. This study offers a fresh perspective on the development of framework-confined NH3-SCR catalysts and elucidates the mechanism behind the sulfur resistance of these catalysts. And the green Cu@ 13X catalyst is anticipated to serve as an effective alternative to the hazardous VWTi catalyst.

Supramolecular Interfacial Assembly: Integrating Supramolecular Hosts into Polymeric Membranes through an Aqueous Interface

Efficient incorporation of supramolecular hosts in polymeric membranes can impart the overall matrix with new properties for a range of cutting‐edge applications. Here, we introduce a Supramolecular Interfacial Assembly (SIA) method for the fabrication of polymeric membranes featuring embedded macrocycles. Through harnessing the quasi‐liquid nature of the concentrated polymer solution, SIA orchestrates the homogenous spreading of macrocycles in an aqueous layer on its surface, leading to the creation of an interface between “water/water” phases, subsequently forming a cross‐linked membrane driven by supramolecular electrostatic interactions. Remarkably, compared to the traditional interfacial polymerization, SIA adheres to a “green” paradigm without the need for organic solvents. The resultant composite membrane exhibits superior performance in organic solvent nanofiltration (OSN), owing to the precise molecular sieving property provided by the macrocycles with well‐defined permanent cavities. This fabrication method holds great promise for the innovative design of composite membranes, which can greatly impact the production of smart membrane materials for advanced technology applications in the future.

Supramolecular Interfacial Assembly: Integrating Supramolecular Hosts into Polymeric Membranes through an Aqueous Interface.

Efficient incorporation of supramolecular hosts in polymeric membranes can impart the overall matrix with new properties for a range of cutting-edge applications. Here, we introduce a Supramolecular Interfacial Assembly (SIA) method for the fabrication of polymeric membranes featuring embedded macrocycles. Through harnessing the quasi-liquid nature of the concentrated polymer solution, SIA orchestrates the homogenous spreading of macrocycles in an aqueous layer on its surface, leading to the creation of an interface between "water/water" phases, subsequently forming a cross-linked membrane driven by supramolecular electrostatic interactions. Remarkably, compared to the traditional interfacial polymerization, SIA adheres to a "green" paradigm without the need for organic solvents. The resultant composite membrane exhibits superior performance in organic solvent nanofiltration (OSN), owing to the precise molecular sieving property provided by the macrocycles with well-defined permanent cavities. This fabrication method holds great promise for the innovative design of composite membranes, which can greatly impact the production of smart membrane materials for advanced technology applications in the future.