Wang Yue, Liang Rong-Zu, Jia Tian-Zhi, Cao Xue-Li, Wang Qian, Cao Jing-Rong, Li Shuo, Shi Qixun, Isaacs Lyle, Sun Shi-Peng
State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, Jiangsu National Synergetic Innovation Center for Advanced Materials, College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, China.
Institute of Advanced Synthesis, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Jiangsu National Synergetic Innovation Center for Advanced Materials, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, China.
J Am Chem Soc. 2022 Apr 13;144(14):6483-6492. doi: 10.1021/jacs.2c01263. Epub 2022 Mar 29.
Smart voltage-gated nanofiltration membranes have enormous potential for on-demand and precise separation of similar molecules, which is an essential element of sustainable water purification and resource recovery. However, the existing voltage-gated membranes are hampered by limited selectivity, stability, and scalability due to electroactive monomer dimerization. Here, for the first time, the host-guest recognition properties of cucurbit[7]uril (CB[7]) are used to protect the viologen derivatives and promote their assembly into the membrane by interfacial polymerization. Viologen functions as a voltage switch, whereas CB[7] complexation prevents its dimerization and improves its redox stability. The inhibited diffusion of the CB[7]-viologen complex enables the precise patterning of the surface structure. The resultant voltage-gated membrane displays 80% improved rejection performance, excellent recovery accuracy for similar molecules, and anti-fouling properties. This work not only provides an innovative strategy for the preparation of voltage-gated smart nanofiltration membranes but also opens up new avenues for ion-selective transmission in water treatment, bionic ion channels, and energy conversion.
智能电压门控纳滤膜在按需精确分离相似分子方面具有巨大潜力，这是可持续水净化和资源回收的关键要素。然而，由于电活性单体二聚化，现有的电压门控膜在选择性、稳定性和可扩展性方面受到限制。在此，首次利用葫芦[7]脲（CB[7]）的主客体识别特性来保护紫精衍生物，并通过界面聚合促进其组装成膜。紫精作为电压开关，而CB[7]络合可防止其二聚化并提高其氧化还原稳定性。CB[7] - 紫精络合物的扩散受阻使得表面结构能够精确图案化。所得的电压门控膜的截留性能提高了80%，对相似分子具有出色的回收精度和抗污染性能。这项工作不仅为制备电压门控智能纳滤膜提供了创新策略，还为水处理中的离子选择性传输、仿生离子通道和能量转换开辟了新途径。
