title: Polymeric molecular sieve membranes via in situ cross-linking of non-porous polymer membrane templates.
abstract: High-performance polymeric membranes for gas separation are attractive for molecular-level separations in industrial-scale chemical, energy and environmental processes. Molecular sieving materials are widely regarded as the next-generation membranes to simultaneously achieve high permeability and selectivity. However, most polymeric molecular sieve membranes are based on a few solution-processable polymers such as polymers of intrinsic microporosity. Here we report an in situ cross-linking strategy for the preparation of polymeric molecular sieve membranes with hierarchical and tailorable porosity. These membranes demonstrate exceptional performance as molecular sieves with high gas permeabilities and selectivities for smaller gas molecules, such as carbon dioxide and oxygen, over larger molecules such as nitrogen. Hence, these membranes have potential for large-scale gas separations of commercial and environmental relevance. Moreover, this strategy could provide a possible alternative to 'classical' methods for the preparation of porous membranes and, in some cases, the only viable synthetic route towards certain membranes.
authors.affiliation: Chemical Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, USA.
authors.forename: Zhen-An
authors.initials: ZA
authors.lastname: Qiao
authors.affiliation: Chemical Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, USA.
authors.forename: Song-Hai
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Chai
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, USA.
authors.forename: Kimberly
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nelson
authors.affiliation: Chemical Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, USA.
authors.forename: Zhonghe
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Bi
authors.affiliation: Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences and Chemical Science Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, USA.
authors.forename: Jihua
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Chemical Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, USA.
authors.forename: Shannon M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Mahurin
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, USA.
authors.forename: Xiang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: 1] Chemical Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, USA [2] Department of Chemistry, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, USA.
authors.forename: Sheng
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dai
mesh_terms: D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000737:chemistry; D003432:Cross-Linking Reagents / Q000737:chemistry; D005740:Gases / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000379:methods; D010100:Oxygen / Q000737:chemistry; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D003432:Cross-Linking Reagents; D005740:Gases; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D011108:Polymers; D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D010100:Oxygen