Two‐Dimensional Membranes: New Paradigms for High‐Performance Separation Membranes

Two‐dimensional (2D) materials with atomic thicknesses have aroused great interest as promising building blocks for the preparation of ultrathin 2D membranes. These 2D membranes can exhibit unprecedentedly high separation permeance owing to their ultrasmall membrane thicknesses and superior selectivity because of their size‐selective nanopores and/or nanochannels. Until now, a large number of 2D membranes with good performance have been reported, highlighting the potential of these novel membranes for efficient liquid and gas separations. Summarized in this review are the latest advances in 2D membranes, with a special focus on industrially attractive separation processes, fabrication methods of laminar membranes, choices of membrane materials, designs of membrane structures, and unique membrane transport properties. Opportunities and challenges of 2D membranes for commercial applications are also briefly discussed.     

Selective Ion Transport in Two-Dimensional Lamellar Nanochannel Membranes

Precise and ultrafast ion sieving is highly desirable for many applications in environment-, energy-, and resource-related fields. The development of a permselective lamellar membrane constructed from parallel stacked two-dimensional (2D) nanosheets opened a new avenue for the development of next-generation separation technology because of the unprecedented diversity of the designable interior nanochannels. In this Review, we first discuss the construction of homo- and heterolaminar nanoarchitectures from the starting materials to the emerging preparation strategies. We then explore the property–performance relationships, with a particular emphasis on the effects of physical structural features, chemical properties, and external environment stimuli on ion transport behavior under nanoconfinement. We also present existing and potential applications of 2D membranes in desalination, ion recovery, and energy conversion. Finally, we discuss the challenges and outline research directions in this promising field.     

二维纳米片用于快速高效膜法气体分离

膜法气体分离作为一类低能耗先进分离技术, 在化工分离中具有广阔的应用前景. 然而商业气体分离膜在实际应用过程中存在选择性和渗透性此消彼长的问题. 以二维纳米片材料为膜构筑基元, 有望突破这一瓶颈. 最具代表性的二维纳米片膜材料当属石墨烯及其衍生物、 二维沸石分子筛、 层状双金属氢氧化物、 二维过渡金属硫化物、 Mxene、 二维共价有机骨架和金属有机骨架材料. 本文对这些二维材料在超薄气体分离膜领域的成果与进展进行介绍, 展现了各类材料在实际分离应用过程中的优势及弊端, 探讨了二维纳米片膜材料在气体分离领域的挑战与发展前景.     

Stimulus‐Responsive Metal–Organic Frameworks

Materials that can recognize the changes in their local environment and respond by altering their inherent physical and/or chemical properties are strong candidates for future “smart” technology materials. Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) have attracted a great deal of attention in recent years owing to their designable architecture, host–guest chemistry, and softness as porous materials. Despite this fact, studies on the tuning of the properties of MOFs by external stimuli are still rare. This review highlights the recent developments in the field of stimulus‐responsive MOFs or so‐called smart MOFs. In particular, the various stimuli used and the utility of stimulus‐responsive smart MOFs for various applications such as gas storage and separation, sensing, clean energy, catalysis, molecular motors, and biomedical applications are highlighted by using representative examples. Future directions in the developments of stimulus‐responsive smart MOFs and their applications are proposed from a personal perspective.     

Two‐Dimensional‐Material Membranes: A New Family of High‐Performance Separation Membranes

Two‐dimensional (2D) materials of atomic thickness have emerged as nano‐building blocks to develop high‐performance separation membranes that feature unique nanopores and/or nanochannels. These 2D‐material membranes exhibit extraordinary permeation properties, opening a new avenue to ultra‐fast and highly selective membranes for water and gas separation. Summarized in this Minireview are the latest ground‐breaking studies in 2D‐material membranes as nanosheet and laminar membranes, with a focus on starting materials, nanostructures, and transport properties. Challenges and future directions of 2D‐material membranes for wide implementation are discussed briefly.     

烯碳材料在人工肌肉领域的应用进展

随着仿生机器人、智能控制及人工智能等领域的发展,传统的机械驱动方式已无法满足相关领域对致动系统提出的柔性、高效及多源刺激响应性等要求,因此需发展新型的人工肌肉材料。以碳纳米管和石墨烯为代表的烯碳材料具有轻质、高强、高电导率和柔性等特征,在人工肌肉领域展现出了巨大的应用潜力。以烯碳材料为基元构筑宏观组装体材料,或以烯碳材料为添加相制备纳米复合材料,可在微观和宏观架起桥梁,实现烯碳材料在人工肌肉领域的应用。本文基于上述两种应用形式,综述了烯碳材料在人工肌肉领域的应用进展。首先从一维纤维和二维薄膜的烯碳人工肌肉宏观表现形态出发,介绍了既作为结构材料,又提供了响应、驱动功能的烯碳材料在人工肌肉中的应用。接着从机电性能、可编程的响应形变以及传感功能三个方向,介绍了烯碳材料作为增强赋能相在人工肌肉材料中的功能性应用。最后阐述了基于烯碳材料人工肌肉的机遇与挑战。     

智能响应材料在磷酸化肽和糖肽富集中的应用

蛋白质的磷酸化和糖基化作为研究最广泛的两种翻译后修饰(PTMs),在疾病的早期无创诊断、预后和治疗评估中表现出越来越大的潜力。蛋白质的异常磷酸化和糖基化经常被用于临床蛋白质组学研究和疾病相关生物标志物的发现。目前已有多种材料被开发用于磷酸化肽和糖肽的富集研究,其中,智能响应材料由于具有独特的响应特性,已被陆续报道用于磷酸化肽和糖肽的富集。智能响应材料可对外界刺激做出响应,发生结构和性质上的变化,将光、电、热、机械等信号转化为生物化学信号。响应分子是决定智能响应材料响应特性的先决条件,它们在不同刺激条件下(如温度、pH、光、机械应力、电磁场等)的可逆异构化将导致材料的宏观物理和化学性质的动态变化。与传统材料相比,智能响应材料可以可逆地“打开”和“关闭”,具有更好的可调控性。由于引起智能材料响应的刺激信号对其性能具有重要的影响,综述根据施加的刺激种类对智能响应材料进行分类,具体分为外源性响应材料和内源性响应材料,且分别总结了外源性响应材料、内源性响应材料以及内外源共同响应材料在磷酸化肽和糖肽富集方面的工作。此外,综述对智能响应材料在磷酸化肽和糖肽富集方面的发展前景进行了展望,并且提出了智能响应材料在其他蛋白质翻译后修饰方面的应用中存在的挑战。     

液晶弹性体刺激形变研究

开发可以通过外部刺激产生机械形变的人工致动材料是一个近年来的研究热点。其中,液晶弹性体因结合了聚合物网络的橡胶弹性和液晶的有序性而具有独特的性质,在热、光、电等的外界刺激下可以产生可逆的形状记忆效应。本文综述了液晶弹性体响应多种外界刺激产生各种形变的行为,主要介绍了有关热致形变液晶弹性体、电致形变液晶弹性体、化学刺激导致形变的液晶弹性体及光致形变液晶弹性体的研究进展,阐述了各类液晶弹性体产生形变的机理包括热致、电致和光致相转变,讨论了影响其响应性能的主要因素,并展望了这一领域的发展前景。     

Bioinspired Actuators Based on Stimuli‐Responsive Polymers

Organisms exhibit strong environmental adaptability by controllably adjusting their morphologies or fast locomotion; thus providing constant inspiration for scientists to develop artificial actuators that not only have diverse and sophisticated shape‐morphing capabilities, but can also further transfer dynamic and reversible shape deformations into macroscopic motion under the following principles: asymmetric friction, the Marangoni effect, and counteracting forces of the surrounding conditions. Among numerous available materials for fabricating bioinspired artificial actuators, stimuli‐responsive polymers are superior in their flexible features and the ability to change their physicochemical properties dynamically under external stimuli, such as temperature, pH, light, and ionic strength. Herein, different mechanisms, working principles, and applications of stimuli‐responsive polymeric actuators are comprehensively introduced. Furthermore, perspectives on existing challenges and future directions of this field are provided.     

Transforming 3D CAU-10-H into 2D Materials with High Base Stability for Membrane Separation

Two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials have received a significant research attention owing to their unique chemical and physical properties. These materials not only provide the chemically active sites and exposed surface atoms, but also display the porous nature suitable for their use as membranes for gas separation. In this study, 3D CAU-10-H has been transformed into a novel alkali stabilized 2D CACl-10 (180). Though CACl-10 (180) is similar to AlOOH, it is a novel 2D nanomaterial synthesized by using 4-chloroisophthalic acid and aluminum nitrate nonahydrate, with thermal decomposition at 300 °C. Further, CACl-10 (180) is noted to retain its framework structure in strong alkali solutions, attributed to the alkali-resistant aluminum hydroxide. At the same time, it has been demonstrated that 3D CAU-10-H can also transform into 3D CACl-10 (140) and 3D CACl-10 (130), and the halogen atoms of the ligands (−Cl) affect the alkali stability of the materials. Subsequently, the PVAm-CACl-10 (180)/MPSf mixed matrix membranes were prepared and applied for CH₄/N₂ separation. The developed membrane exhibits the CH₄ permeance of 1647.99 GPU with a CH₄/N₂ selectivity of 3.1. As a result, 2D CACl-10 (180), with a strong alkali stability and an acceptable CH₄/N₂ membrane separation performance, represents a high potential of application in the membrane separation process.     

Progress in hydrogels for sensing applications: a review

There are several developments taking place in the field of sensors driven by the world today requirements. One of the most important novelties of the last two decades in the field is represented by the hydrogel-based sensors which constitute a wide family of innovative smart sensing devices relevant for many different applications. Hydrogels in fact are hydrophilic, biocompatible and highly water swellable polymer networks able to convert chemical energy into mechanical energy, with the great peculiarity to be able to respond to external stimuli. These characteristics have ensured them considerable recognition as valuable tool for smart sensing and diagnostics. The aim of this review is to focus on the advances obtained in the field in the last ten years.     

A Light‐Responsive Metal–Organic Framework Hybrid Membrane with High On/Off Photoswitchable Proton Conductivity

Mimicking biological proton pumps to achieve stimuli‐responsive protonic solids has long been of great interest for their diverse applications in fuel cells, chemical sensors, and bio‐electronic devices. Now, dynamic light‐responsive metal–organic framework hybrid membranes can be obtained by in situ encapsulation of photoactive molecules (sulfonated spiropyran, SSP), as the molecular valve, into the cavities of the host ZIF‐8. The configuration of SSP can be changed and switched reversibly in response to light, generating different mobile acidic protons and thus high on/off photoswitchable proton conductivity in the hybrid membranes and device. This device exhibits a high proton conductivity, fast response time, and extremely large on/off ratio upon visible‐light irradiation. This approach might provide a platform for creating emerging smart protonic solids with potential applications in the remote‐controllable chemical sensors or proton‐conducting field‐effect transistors.     

Reversible Phase Transition of Porous Coordination Polymers

Porous coordination polymers or metal–organic frameworks with reversible phase-transition behavior possess some attractive properties, and can respond to external stimuli, including physical and chemical stimuli, in a dynamic fashion. Their phase transitions can be triggered by adsorption/desorption of guest molecules, temperature changes, high pressure, light irradiation, and electric fields; these mainly include two types of transitions: crystal–amorphous and crystal–crystal transitions. These types of porous coordination polymers have received much attention because of their interesting properties and potential applications. Herein, reversible phase transition porous coordination polymers are summarized and classified based on different stimuli sources. Corresponding typical examples are then introduced. Finally, examples of their applications in gas separation, chemical sensors, guest molecule encapsulation, and energy storage are also presented.     

智能型分离膜研究

膜材料的智能化已成为当今分离材料领域发展的一个新方向。本文对智能型分离膜的各种制备方法进行了比较和分析,从其环境敏感特性方面对智能型分离膜的可控机理、可控性能进行了较为详细的综述,并简要介绍了智能型分离膜的表征方法。     

2D Nanosheets and Their Composite Membranes for Water,Gas, and Ion Separation

Two‐dimensional nanosheets have shown great potential for separation applications because of their exceptional molecular transport properties. Nanosheet materials such as graphene oxides, metal–organic frameworks, and covalent organic frameworks display unique, precise, and fast molecular transport through nanopores and/or nanochannels. However, the dimensional instability of nanosheets in harsh environments diminishes the membrane performance and hinders their long‐term operation in various applications such as gas separation, water desalination, and ion separation. Recent progress in nanosheet membranes has included modification by crosslinking and functionalization that has improved the stability of the membranes, their separation functionality, and the scalability of membrane formation while the membranes’ excellent molecular transport properties are retained. These improvements have enhanced the potential of nanosheet membranes in practical applications such as separation processes.     

2D Nanosheets and Their Composite Membranes for Water,Gas, and Ion Separation

Two‐dimensional nanosheets have shown great potential for separation applications because of their exceptional molecular transport properties. Nanosheet materials such as graphene oxides, metal–organic frameworks, and covalent organic frameworks display unique, precise, and fast molecular transport through nanopores and/or nanochannels. However, the dimensional instability of nanosheets in harsh environments diminishes the membrane performance and hinders their long‐term operation in various applications such as gas separation, water desalination, and ion separation. Recent progress in nanosheet membranes has included modification by crosslinking and functionalization that has improved the stability of the membranes, their separation functionality, and the scalability of membrane formation while the membranes’ excellent molecular transport properties are retained. These improvements have enhanced the potential of nanosheet membranes in practical applications such as separation processes.     

荷电膜的研究进展

荷电膜以其特殊的分离机理,使之与电中性膜相比在分离性能、通量及膜的使用寿命等方面具有不可比拟的优势.大多数的荷电膜是经过一系列物理化学改性制得的,荷电膜材料的研究为新型膜材料的开发拓宽了领域,随着对膜性能要求的日益提高,荷电膜的研究具有重要的意义.本文首先介绍了荷电膜所用到的材料及其用途,并对所用到的材料进行分类,然后重点论述了荷电膜的制备及其表征方法(膜电位的测试方法),最后指出荷电膜需要进一步深入研究的内容.     

二维材料膜在气体分离领域的最新研究进展

Two-dimensional (2D) materials, led by graphene, have emerged as nano-building blocks to develop high-performance membranes. The atom-level thickness of nanosheets makes a membrane as thin as possible, thereby minimizing the transport resistance and maximizing the permeation flux. Meanwhile, the sieving channels can be precisely manipulated within sub-nanometer size for molecular separation, such as gas separation. For instance, graphene oxide (GO) channels with an interlayer height of about 0.4 nm assembled by external forces exhibited excellent H₂/CO₂ sieving performance compared to commercial membranes. Cross-linking was also employed to fabricate ultrathin (< 20 nm) GO-facilitated transport membranes for efficient CO₂ capture. A borate-crosslinked membrane exhibited a high CO₂ permeance of 650 GPU (gas permeation unit), and a CO₂/CH₄ selectivity of 75, which is currently the best performance reported for GO-based composite membranes. The CO₂-facilitated transport membrane with piperazine as the carrier also exhibited excellent separation performance under simulated flue gas conditions with CO₂ permeance of 1020 GPU and CO₂/N₂ selectivity as high as 680. In addition, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) with layered structures, if successfully exfoliated, can serve as diverse sources for MOF nanosheets that can be fabricated into high-performance membranes. It is challenging to maintain the structural and morphological integrity of nanosheets. Poly[Zn₂(benzimidazole)₄] (Zn₂(bim)₄) was firstly exfoliated into 1-nm-thick nanosheets and assembled into ultrathin membranes possessing both high permeance and excellent molecular sieving properties for H₂/CO₂ separation. Interestingly, reversed thermo-switchable molecular sieving was also demonstrated in membranes composed of 2D MOF nanosheets. Besides, researchers employed layered double hydroxides (LDHs) to prepare molecular-sieving membranes via in situ growth, and the as-prepared membranes showed a remarkable selectivity of ~80 for H₂-CH₄ mixture. They concluded that the amount of CO₂ in the precursor solution contributed to LDH membranes with various preferred orientations and thicknesses. Apart from these 2D materials, MXenes also show great potential in selective gas permeation. Lamellar stacked MXene membranes with aligned and regular sub-nanometer channels exhibited excellent gas separation performance. Moreover, our ultrathin (20 nm) MXene nanofilms showed outstanding molecular sieving property for the preferential transport of H₂, with H₂ permeance as high as 1584 GPU and H₂/CO₂ selectivity of 27. The originally H₂-selective MXene membranes could be transformed into membranes selectively permeating CO₂ by chemical tuning of the MXene nanochannels. This paper briefly reviews the latest groundbreaking studies in 2D-material membranes for gas separation, with a focus on sub-nanometer 2D channels, exfoliation of 2D nanosheets with structural integrity, and tunable gas transport property. Challenges, in terms of the mass production of 2D nanosheets, scale-up of lab-level membranes and a thorough understanding of the transport mechanism, and the potential of 2D-material membranes for wide implementation are briefly discussed.     

分子识别与温度响应复合智能材料

研究和开发具有双重和多重刺激响应型智能高分子材料已成为一个重要的发展方向。本文详细地综述了我们近年来在基于聚(N-异丙基丙烯酰胺)(PNIPAM)和β-环糊精(β-CD)的复合智能线型高分子、复合智能微球和复合智能膜方面的研究进展。不同形式的复合智能材料均采用相同的反应机理制备。综述了制备工艺条件、共聚单体比例、接枝率、客体分子种类和浓度等因素对于不同形式复合智能材料的温度响应性和分子识别特性的影响规律,并对复合智能膜在亲合分离、控制释放和手性拆分等方面的应用进行了介绍。评述了分子识别与温度响应复合智能材料的研究意义和发展方向,并对其应用前景进行了展望。     

纳米复合膜在膜分离领域的研究进展

基于纳米材料的独特性质,将其引入高分子膜所制得的纳米复合滤膜有望解决目前制约膜技术发展的“上限平衡”问题。 本文综述了碳纳米管、石墨烯、SiO2、TiO2、分子筛、ZrO2以及纳米银颗粒等纳米复合膜在膜分离领域的研究进展。 这些纳米材料对于提高复合膜的机械稳定性、亲水性、选择性、渗透性及抗污染能力等有显著的效果。 此外,对纳米复合膜的发展与应用做了展望,也对其研究中存在的问题和解决方法进行了阐述。