Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jinqiu Yuan, Xinda You, Niaz Ali Khan, Runlai Li, Runnan Zhang, Jianliang Shen, Li Cao, Mengying Long, Yanan Liu, Zijian Xu, Hong Wu, Zhongyi Jiang
Summary: Covalent organic framework (COF) membranes with heterocrystalline structure exhibit high organic solvent permeance and sharp molecular sieving properties.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Jiahui Hu, Sushil Kumar, Rifan Hardian, Cong Yang, Gyorgy Szekely
Summary: In this study, polyamide and polyester thin-film composites (TFCs) and covalent organic frameworks (COFs) were fabricated as selective layers on a polyimide aerogel support for organic solvent nanofiltration (OSN) membranes. The polyimide aerogel support exhibited high stability and porosity, enabling high solvent flux. Both the experimental and predicted molecular weight cutoff (MWCO) values were obtained for the COFs and polyester TFC membranes. The operating temperature had minimal effect on the OSN performance.
SEPARATION AND PURIFICATION TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Qi Zheng, Xinle Li, Qiubo Zhang, Daewon Lee, Haiyan Mao, Chongqing Yang, Karen C. Bustillo, Jeffrey A. Reimer, Yi Liu, Jinyang Jiang, Haimei Zheng
Summary: In this study, a closed-cage, onion nanostructure of covalent organic framework (COF) was successfully synthesized through low-temperature solvothermal method. The atomic arrangement, layer stacking modes, and geometrical defects in the COF onion were characterized using transmission electron microscopy. A corresponding model was constructed to predict the properties of the COF onion. The results showed that the COF onion has a potential application in sensors, photocatalysts, and nanoelectronics.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Jinqiu Yuan, Xinda You, Runnan Zhang, Zengguang Yao, Qingyuan Liu, Li Cao, Shiyu Zhang, Yunshu Li, Ziwen Liu, Zhongyi Jiang, Hong Wu
Summary: In this study, an oriented ionic covalent organic framework membrane (oi-COM) with well-ordered channels and abundant sulfonate groups was fabricated. The oi-COM membrane exhibited high rejection for negatively charged dye and maintained high solvent permeance, suggesting the significance of electrostatic repulsion effect in membrane selectivity.
JOURNAL OF MEMBRANE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Xinda You, Li Cao, Yawei Liu, Hong Wu, Runlai Li, Qianxiang Xiao, Jinqiu Yuan, Runnan Zhang, Chunyang Fan, Xiaoyao Wang, Pengfei Yang, Xiaoyu Yang, Yu Ma, Zhongyi Jiang
Summary: Ionic covalent organic framework membranes (iCOFMs) with charged framework nanochannels and high charge density have been developed to control ion transport. These membranes enable ion exclusion while maintaining high water permeability, and hold great potential for water purification, ionic separation, sensing, and energy conversion.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Hao Yang, Jinhui Xu, Hui Cao, Jie Wu, Dan Zhao
Summary: Transition metal-based homogeneous photocatalysts offer a wealth of opportunities for organic synthesis, but they can be rare and challenging to immobilize for recycling. In this study, the authors successfully recovered ruthenium and iridium photocatalysts using covalent organic framework (COF) membranes with tunable pore sizes. The recovered catalysts showed high catalytical performance, recovery rates, and permeance in multiple photochemical reactions, and the COF membranes also facilitated the isolation and purification of small organic molecules. These findings have the potential to revolutionize pharmaceutical and fine chemical synthesis.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Huiting Yu, Jiayu Guan, Yaohan Chen, Yuxuan Sun, Shengyang Zhou, Jifu Zheng, Qifeng Zhang, Shenghai Li, Suobo Zhang
Summary: An additive approach is used to fabricate COF-based thin-film composite membranes with fast growth, high permeance, and high molecular sieving ability. This work provides a new strategy for COF membrane processing.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Yasan He, Xiaogeng Lin
Summary: This study investigates the effect of the chemical composition of COFs on the formation of COF membranes and the separation performance, aiming to synthesize high-performance and compact COF films by introducing hydrogen bonding between COF crystallites. The prepared COF-TBDH/nylon membrane with -OH groups exhibited unprecedented performance with high permeation flux and rejection rate, demonstrating the important role of -OH groups in the COFs. This work provides a significant concept and strategy for the preparation of high-performance COF membranes.
JOURNAL OF MEMBRANE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Xiansong Shi, Zhipeng Zhang, Congcong Yin, Xin Zhang, Jianghai Long, Zhe Zhang, Yong Wang
Summary: This article introduces the application of three-dimensional covalent organic framework membranes in organic solvent nanofiltration by designing the membranes through moderated interfacial crystallization. The nanoporous supports act as moderators, allowing the crystallization of the membranes to form sub-nanometer channels with high stability and selectivity. Additionally, the membrane demonstrates excellent practicality in purifying active pharmaceutical ingredients.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Yixin Yang, Guorong Li, Dan Ouyang, Zongwei Cai, Zian Lin
Summary: A self-standing anionic COF membrane with ordered pore structure, superhydrophilicity, and good chemical stability was prepared using a dual-activation interfacial polymerization strategy. The membrane showed high water permeability and effective rejection of dye molecules, making it a promising candidate for efficient dye wastewater treatment.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Guangzhe Wang, Jinqiu Yuan, Junhui Zhao, Yafei Li, Runnan Zhang, Jianliang Shen, Xiaoyao Wang, Hong Wu, Ayman El-Gendi, Yanlei Su, Zhongyi Jiang
Summary: Anionic covalent organic framework (aCOF) was embedded into polyamide matrix to modulate the charge property and thickness of nanofiltration membranes for the removal of divalent ions. The modified membranes exhibited enhanced electronegativity and ultrathin structure, providing improved rejection and water permeance properties.
JOURNAL OF MEMBRANE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Phuoc H. H. Duong, Yun Kyung Shin, Valerie A. Kuehl, Mohammad M. Afroz, John O. Hoberg, Bruce Parkinson, Adri C. T. van Duin, Katie D. Li-Oakey
Summary: Interactions among ions, molecules, and confining solid surfaces play a crucial role in achieving high permeance and selectivity in selectively permeable barriers. Using COFs, researchers have demonstrated unprecedented organic solvent nanofiltration separation performance, providing insights for future material design and synthesis.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Li-Ye Chen, Yi-Nuo Gai, Xiao-Tang Gai, Jun Qin, Ze-Gang Wang, Li-Sheng Cui, Hu Guo, Meng-Ying Jiang, Qian Zou, Tao Zhou, Jing-Gang Gai
Summary: A new facile interfacial method has been developed for synthesizing COF membranes with good mechanical properties and high filtration efficiency, suitable for thin-film-composite (TFC) structure. The obtained TFC-COFs exhibit state-of-the-art water permeance and superior rejections, making them promising for a broad range of selective separations.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Chenyue Mao, Song Zhao, Pengpeng He, Zhi Wang, Jixiao Wang
Summary: A facile and efficient method was proposed to fabricate COF membrane with limited channel filling through in-situ growth of PANI layer, resulting in an excellent PANI-TpPa composite membrane with high permeance and rejection. Membrane fabrication only took 3 hours at room temperature, showing great stability and performance in long-term tests.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Liang Ren, Jianxin Chen, Jian Han, Jinsheng Liang, Hong Wu
Summary: In this study, a custom-tailored nanochannels strategy was used to form two-dimensional covalent organic framework nanosheets (COFNs) with positively charged, narrowed, and lithiophilic channels. These nanosheets were easily assembled into defect-free and oriented covalent organic framework membranes (COFMs) via vacuum-assisted filtration method. The resulting COFMs exhibited excellent performance in ion separation.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Wei Sun, Zhili Lu, Kuichang Zuo, Shuo Xu, Baoyou Shi, Haibo Wang
Summary: The study demonstrated that the combination of OPB cathode and RICT anode showed higher efficiency in electrochemical disinfection of Pseudomonas putida compared to the system with graphite cathode and RICT anode, mainly due to the ability of OPB cathode to provide more adsorption sites and reduce electrolyte transport resistance.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Jiao Chen, Kuichang Zuo, Bing Li, Jiahui Hu, Wenbao Liu, Dongsheng Xia, Lin Lin, Jiajin Liang, Xiao-yan Li
Summary: This study demonstrates the high performance of a freestanding fungal hypha activated carbon pad (FhACPad) electrode for capacitive deionization (CDI) process, exhibiting high electrical conductivity and rapid ion transport properties. Compared to conventional powdered activated carbon (PAC) electrodes, FhACPad shows higher salt adsorption capacity and desalination rate under similar desalination conditions.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Jiao Chen, Kuichang Zuo, Yilin Li, Xiaochuan Huang, Jiahui Hu, Ying Yang, Weipeng Wang, Long Chen, Amit Jain, Rafael Verduzco, Xiaoyan Li, Qilin Li
Summary: This study demonstrates the selective removal of nitrate (NO3-) in an electrosorption process using a thin, porous carbonized eggshell membrane (CESM). The CESM exhibits high selectivity for NO3- over other ions and achieves a significantly higher NO3-/Cl- selectivity compared to activated carbon electrodes. This high selectivity leads to a reduction in energy consumption for nitrate removal.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ryan M. DuChanois, Mohammad Heiranian, Jason Yang, Cassandra J. Porter, Qilin Li, Xuan Zhang, Rafael Verduzco, Menachem Elimelech
Summary: This study investigates the impact of ion-membrane binding energy on the permeability of polymeric membranes, demonstrating that tailoring the binding energy and minimizing the membrane thickness can significantly enhance the selectivity of the membranes.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Fuzhong Xiong, Donghui Wen, Qilin Li
Summary: The study found that Ca2+ has a significant promoting effect on biofilm formation of two pollutant-degrading bacteria (Pseudomonas sp. ZX01 and Arthrobacter sp. ZX07). Ca2+ affects bacterial attachment by altering cell surface charge and cation bridging. In contrast to other biofilm promoting mechanisms, Ca2+ reduces extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) production per cell in both strains, but increases biofilm biomass. Additionally, Ca2+ increases the protein-to-polysaccharide ratio in biofilm EPS of both strains, which favors cell aggregation and biofilm formation. Interestingly, Ca2+ also markedly increases the intracellular c-di-GMP, promoting the switch of bacteria from planktonic state to biofilm state.
FRONTIERS IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Eva Gil, Xiaochuan Huang, Kuichang Zuo, Jun Kim, Susana Rincon, Jose Maria Rivera, Kiarash Ranjbari, Francois Perreault, Pedro Alvarez, Alejandro Zepeda, Qilin Li
Summary: In this study, a modified ultrafiltration membrane using metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) showed significantly improved water permeability and resistance to natural organic matter (NOM) fouling without sacrificing membrane selectivity. The modification involved incorporating a water-stable nanocrystalline MOF-Co into the membrane. This research highlights the potential of MOFs as excellent additives for enhancing membrane performance.
ACS APPLIED POLYMER MATERIALS
(2022)
Review
Engineering, Environmental
Julianne Rolf, Tianchi Cao, Xiaochuan Huang, Chanhee Boo, Qilin Li, Menachem Elimelech
Summary: This Critical Review discusses the mechanisms and factors influencing inorganic scaling during membrane-based desalination. The characterization techniques for scale formation and growth are critically reviewed, providing insights for scale mitigation in water treatment and desalination.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Kuichang Zuo, Xiang Zhang, Xiaochuan Huang, Eliezer F. Oliveira, Hua Guo, Tianshu Zhai, Weipeng Wang, Pedro J. J. Alvarez, Menachem Elimelech, Pulickel M. Ajayan, Jun Lou, Qilin Li
Summary: This study reports the superior resistance of hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) to mineral scale formation compared to other common materials. Experimental and simulation results reveal that hBN's atomically-smooth surface, atomic energy corrugation due to the polar boron-nitrogen bond, and the close match between its interatomic spacing and water molecule size contribute to its high scaling resistance.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Yiming Yin, Tianshu Li, Kuichang Zuo, Xitong Liu, Shihong Lin, Yiqun Yao, Tiezheng Tong
Summary: The study investigates the effect of surface wetting property on heterogeneous gypsum formation and finds that more hydrophilic surfaces are less prone to scaling. The affinity between precursor clusters of CaSO4 and substrate surfaces is found to play a crucial role in regulating scaling propensity.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Xi Chen, Wenxuan Han, Manisha Patel, Qian Wang, Qilin Li, Shuang Zhao, Wenlin Jia
Summary: The proliferation of multidrug-resistant bla(NDM-1) in water and wastewater is a concern. In this study, the application of TiO2/UVA photocatalysis successfully deactivated E. coli NDM-1 bacteria but had limited effect on removing the bla(NDM-1) gene, suggesting potential health risks.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Qing Ai, Zhaoyang Chen, Boyu Zhang, Fan Wang, Tianshu Zhai, Yifeng Liu, Yifan Zhu, Tanguy Terlier, Qiyi Fang, Yanliang Liang, Lihong Zhao, Chaoshan Wu, Hua Guo, Zheng Fan, Ming Tang, Yan Yao, Jun Lou
Summary: A systematic quantitative investigation of the chemomechanical behaviors of pyrene-4,5,9,10-tetraone (PTO)/Li6PS5Cl composite cathodes is carried out by combining time-of-flight secondary-ion mass spectroscopy (ToF-SIMS) and in-SEM nanoindentation measurements. Chemical and quantitative mechanical information on the composite cathode was collected with high spatial resolution after developing and implementing an air-free characterization protocol. By directly connecting the Young's modulus and hardness with the Li distribution in the composite cathode, a comprehensive chemomechanical mapping of the PTO/Li6PS5Cl composite cathode has been established.
ACS ENERGY LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Jessica Mulinari, Alan Ambrosi, Yuren Feng, Ze He, Xiaochuan Huang, Qilin Li, Marco Di Luccio, Dachamir Hotza, J. Vladimir Oliveira
Summary: Covalent enzyme immobilization is a time-consuming and multistep process, but using aqueous polydopamine (PDA) solution as an alternative offers a greener approach. This study compares the one-step and two-step approaches to immobilizing lipase Eversa Transform 2.0 (ET2) on an alpha-alumina membrane. The one-step method achieved similar results in enzyme loading and activity as the two-step method, and showed better fouling resistance and permeance recovery in oily wastewater filtration.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Qiyi Fang, Zhengqian Pang, Qing Ai, Yifeng Liu, Tianshu Zhai, Doug Steinbach, Guanhui Gao, Yifan Zhu, Teng Li, Jun Lou
Summary: The researchers successfully controlled the number of layers in 2D covalent-organic frameworks (COFs) and studied the layer-dependent mechanical properties of COFs with different interlayer interactions. It was found that COFTAPB-DMTP had enhanced interlayer interactions, resulting in layer-independent mechanical properties, while the mechanical properties of COFTAPB-PDA significantly decreased with an increasing number of layers.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2023)
Review
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Kuichang Zuo, Sergi Garcia-Segura, Gabriel A. Cerron-Calle, Feng-Yang Chen, Xiaoyin Tian, Xiaoxiong Wang, Xiaochuan Huang, Haotian Wang, Pedro J. J. Alvarez, Jun Lou, Menachem Elimelech, Qilin Li
Summary: Electrified processes provide a chemical-free solution for removing a wide range of contaminants from water, including those difficult to treat using conventional methods. This review presents the principles of several electrified water treatment processes and emphasizes the importance of electrode materials in contaminant transport and transformation.
NATURE REVIEWS MATERIALS
(2023)
