Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Xia Qiu, Mengya Cao, Yongxin Li
Summary: In this work, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) were used to construct UiO-66 and its derivatives on solid-state nanopores, achieving ultra-selective proton transport. The aminated MOFs modification (UiO-66-(NH2)(2)) significantly improved proton selectivity, while the further post-modification with sulfo-acetic acid (UiO-66-(NH-SAG)(2)) resulted in ultra-high selectivity to protons. This work provides a new way to achieve sub-nanochannels with high selectivity for various applications.
CHEMISTRY-A EUROPEAN JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Yoshimitsu Itoh, Shuo Chen, Ryota Hirahara, Takeshi Konda, Tsubasa Aoki, Takumi Ueda, Ichio Shimada, James J. Cannon, Cheng Shao, Junichiro Shiomi, Kazuhito Tabata, Hiroyuki Noji, Kohei Sato, Takuzo Aida
Summary: This study reports a novel fluorous nanochannel that exhibits a water permeation flux two orders of magnitude higher than that of aquaporins and carbon nanotubes. The hydrophobic interior surface of this nanochannel provides a powerful electrostatic barrier, resulting in nearly perfect salt reflectance. Hence, it holds significant potential for applications in desalination.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yulin Wu, Yixing Wang, Dezhu Zhang, Fang Xu, Liheng Dai, Kai Qu, Hongyan Cao, Yu Xia, Siyao Li, Kang Huang, Zhi Xu
Summary: Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) have great potential to be used as proton conductive membranes, but constructing self-standing COF membranes with high crystallinity remains a challenge. In this study, a macromolecular-mediated crystallization strategy is designed to enhance the crystallinity of self-standing COF membranes, resulting in membranes with high proton conductivity and excellent battery performance.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Guorui Cai, Amanda A. Chen, Sharon Lin, Dong Ju Lee, Kunpeng Yu, John Holoubek, Yijie Yin, Anthony U. Mu, Ying Shirley Meng, Ping Liu, Seth M. Cohen, Tod A. Pascal, Zheng Chen
Summary: In this study, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and aprotic electrolytes are investigated as a robust platform to gain molecular-level insights into electrolyte behaviors in confined spaces. By studying solvents and solvation structures confined within functionalized MOFs, phenomena deviating from the bulk electrolyte are demonstrated, including modulated solvent molecular configurations, aggregated solvation structures, and tunable transport mechanisms. The confinement effects can be utilized to address stability concerns of volatile organic electrolytes and enable ultrafast solvate transport, leading to improved battery performance, even at extreme temperatures. The molecular-level insights presented here contribute to our understanding of structure-property relationships of complex fluids at the nanoscale, which can be exploited for the predictive design of more efficient electrochemical systems.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Olga I. Vinogradova, Elena F. Silkina
Summary: This paper revisits the phenomenon of conductivity in electrolyte solutions confined in micro- and nanochannels, focusing on the impact of salt concentration on ion mobility and subsequently on conductivity. A systematic treatment of ion electrophoresis is presented, yielding equations for their zeta potentials and mobilities. These mobilities are then used to derive a simple expression for bulk conductivity, valid in a concentration range up to a few molars and more accurate than previous theories. The formalism is extended to charged channels, providing equations for conductivity in different modes, accounting for the reduction in electrophoretic mobility with salt concentration. This analysis offers a framework for interpreting measurements of electrolyte solution conductivity in both bulk and narrow channels.
JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL PHYSICS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Liangxu Xie, Kwong-Yu Chan, Vanessa Chi-Ying Li
Summary: By conducting molecular dynamics simulations, we investigated the free energy change and hydration number of four ions inside the porous polyelectrolyte-MOF nanochannel, providing insights into the mechanism of ion selectivity attributed to the synergistic effect of charge and size-exclusion of the polyelectrolyte-MOF structure.
JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR LIQUIDS
(2022)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Meidi Wang, Penghui Zhang, Xu Liang, Junyi Zhao, Yawei Liu, Yu Cao, Hongjian Wang, Yu Chen, Zhiming Zhang, Fusheng Pan, Zhenjie Zhang, Zhongyi Jiang
Summary: The lack of access to clean water for billions of people is a global sustainability challenge, which can be addressed by membrane technologies. The use of covalent organic framework (COF) membranes can achieve ultrafast desalination and excellent fouling resistance, offering great potential in practical applications.
NATURE SUSTAINABILITY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Jia Chen, Ping Li, Ningxin Zhang, Shaokun Tang
Summary: A novel hydroxide-conducting covalent organic framework (COF) membrane with effective directional hydroxide transport nanochannels was demonstrated. The COF membrane exhibited remarkable hydroxide conductivity, dimensional stability, mechanical properties, and swelling resistance.
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS CHEMISTRY A
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Yuling He, Tianliang Xiao, Bingxin Lu, Xuejiang Li, Caili Zhang, Jianwei He, Jin Zhai, Xia Fan
Summary: This study demonstrates the use of hydrogen-bonded organic framework (HOF) nanochannels for osmotic power generation, which possess excellent cation selectivity and high ion flux. By mixing seawater and river water, the HOF nanochannel membranes exhibit a higher output power density than the commercial benchmark, laying the foundation for the application of HOF in harnessing salinity gradient energy.
ACS APPLIED ENERGY MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Li Cao, I-Chun Chen, Caifing Chen, Digambar B. Shinde, Xiaowei Liu, Zhen Li, Zongyao Zhou, Yuting Zhang, Yu Han, Zhiping Lai
Summary: This study demonstrates high-performance osmotic energy conversion membranes based on oriented two-dimensional covalent organic frameworks (COFs). These membranes enable efficient and selective ion transport through controlled channel structures and charge properties. The achieved power density in osmotic energy conversion surpasses that of existing nanofluidic membranes, indicating the great potential of oriented COF membranes in advanced membrane technology and energy conversion.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Yuan Yuan Cai, Qiu Gen Zhang, Ai Mei Zhu, Qing Lin Liu
Summary: A novel hybrid nanocomposite ZIF-L@GO was designed as an inorganic filler in SPEEK membranes, showing improved proton conductivity and long-term stability for potential applications in PEMFC.
JOURNAL OF COLLOID AND INTERFACE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Chao Luan, Denghua Zhang, Zhanbin Liu, Xihao Zhang, Yue Zhang, Zishen Yu, Yifan Zhang, Weiguo Xu, Jianguo Liu, Chuanwei Yan
Summary: High current density vanadium flow batteries (VFBs) are crucial for the widespread utilization of renewable energy. A post-synthetic modification of Zr-MOFs (PSM) is introduced into the PBI matrix to improve the power density of VFBs by breaking the trade-off between vanadium permeability and ion selectivity. The PSM creates more proton transport sites and forms acid-base pairs with the PBI matrix, resulting in enhanced proton conductivity in the hybrid membrane. Additionally, the denser structure of the hybrid membrane improves ion selectivity and blocks vanadium ion permeation.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Junli Guo, Xuao Liu, Junjian Zhao, Huijie Xu, Zhida Gao, Zeng-Qiang Wu, Yan-Yan Song
Summary: Inspired by natural ionic channels, researchers developed an asymmetrical MOF-in-nanochannel architecture to discriminate monosaccharide enantiomers. The architecture combines oxidase-mimicking and Fenton-like catalysis in homochiral mesoporous CuMOF pockets, and the identification performance is enhanced by the increased oxidase-mimicking activity of Au nanoparticles under LSPR excitation. This study provides a promising strategy for designing an enantiomer discrimination device and offers insights into the origin of stereoselectivity in natural enzymes.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Ting Zheng, Yu-Chuan Lin, Neema Rafizadeh, David B. Geohegan, Zhenhua Ni, Kai Xiao, Hui Zhao
Summary: The charge transfer properties of van der Waals heterostructures formed by Janus and regular transition metal dichalcogenide monolayers have been studied. It is found that the charge transfer from regular to Janus monolayers is ultrafast, regardless of the direction of the Janus field. However, the charge transfer from Janus to regular layers is directional and controlled by the Janus field. The transferred carriers form interlayer excitons with extended lifetimes compared to intralayer excitons. These findings indicate that Janus structures can be utilized to create 2D heterostructures with efficient and directional charge transfer properties.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Benbing Shi, Xiao Pang, Bohui Lyu, Hong Wu, Jianliang Shen, Jingyuan Guan, Xiaoyao Wang, Chunyang Fan, Li Cao, Tianhao Zhu, Yan Kong, Yawei Liu, Zhongyi Jiang
Summary: Side-chain engineering of covalent organic frameworks is crucial for the development of advanced ion conductors. In this study, ionic covalent organic framework membranes (iCOFMs) with spacer-engineered ionic channels were designed and fabricated. The iCOFMs with moderate-length spacers and -SO3H groups exhibited the highest through-plane proton conductivity of 889 mS cm(-1) at 90 degrees C.
ADVANCED MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Si-Ming Chen, Si-Chao Zhang, Huai-Ling Gao, Quan Wang, LiChuan Zhou, Hao-Yu Zhao, Xin-Yu Li, Ming Gong, Xiao-Feng Pan, Chen Cui, Ze-Yu Wang, YongLiang Zhang, HengAn Wu, Shu-Hong Yu
Summary: Spatial heterostructure of the bamboo node is identified and its mechanical properties are investigated. Three hierarchical fiber reinforcement schemes originating from the bamboo node are discovered, which govern the structural stability of the bamboo. Additionally, the spatial liquid transport within the bamboo node is experimentally verified, providing evidence for multidirectional fluid exchange.
NATIONAL SCIENCE REVIEW
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Wen Ji, Xianbiao Wang, Tianqi Ding, Soufian Chakir, Yongfei Xu, Xianhuai Huang, Huanting Wang
Summary: This study successfully prepared a nylon-6@UiO-66-NH2 fiber membrane and demonstrated its significant performance in Cr(VI) removal. The unique structure of the fiber membrane allows for selective adsorption and photocatalytic reduction of Cr(VI), leading to improved efficiency in Cr(VI) removal.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Energy & Fuels
XiangYu Hong, HengYu Xu, Hao Yu, Xu Jin, He Liu, FengChao Wang, HengAn Wu
Summary: A large proportion of shale gas/oil reserves is trapped in blind pores and needs to be further exploited. This study investigates the migration and recovery behavior of shale gas/oil mixture through a pore throat connecting blind pores and microfractures. Simulations show that oil molecules migrate in clusters, causing possible blockage of the pore throat. The recovery ratio of gas/oil mixture strongly depends on the pore size, and the presence of heavy fractions of shale oil inhibits extraction through multiple mechanisms. The findings provide insights into the recovery mechanisms of remaining gas/oil in blind pores and offer practical guidelines for shale gas/oil exploitation.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Xingya Li, Gengping Jiang, Meipeng Jian, Chen Zhao, Jue Hou, Aaron W. W. Thornton, Xinyi Zhang, Jefferson Zhe Liu, Benny D. D. Freeman, Huanting Wang, Lei Jiang, Huacheng Zhang
Summary: In this study, a strategy for fabricating angstrom-scale ion channels through the growth of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) into nanochannels is reported. These nanochannels exhibit higher ion conductivity and mobility than MOF channels with hybrid pore configurations and sizes. Furthermore, the three-dimensional (3D) MOF channels demonstrate better ion sieving properties compared to one-dimensional (1D) and two-dimensional (2D) MOF channels. This research provides a platform for studying ion transport properties at angstrom-scale confinement and offers guidelines for improving ionic separations and nanofluidics efficiency.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Yuqi Wang, Xishun Hao, Yuan Kang, Mengyang Dong, Zhou Fang, Yue Hu, Huanting Wang, Xiulin Fan, Youguo Yan, Zhizhen Ye, Xinsheng Peng
Summary: Understanding the ion transport in concentrated electrolytes is important. This study demonstrates an enhanced ion transport of water-in-salt (WIS) electrolytes in 2D nanochannel membranes. The mechanism involves a stratification process induced by functional groups, where a free anion layer moves between two continuous water-cation layers. Lithium-ion batteries with this confined electrolyte showed improved capacity and coulombic efficiency. This work provides new insights into the ion transport mechanism in nanoconfined concentrated electrolytes and offers strategies for designing high-performance and safe electrolytes for energy and environmental devices.
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS CHEMISTRY A
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Composites
LiChuan Zhou, ZeZhou He, ZhongTing Zhang, YinBo Zhu, HengAn Wu
Summary: An ingenious critical damage state (CDS) control method is demonstrated to fully exert the energy absorption potential of nacre-mimetics, achieving maximum utilization of platelet strength advantages. Architecture manipulation results reveal that small aspect ratio platelets can generate superb toughness amplification, while stiffening effect is favored for large-size platelets. The uniform staggered pattern is recommended for superior energy-absorbing design, owing to its pronounced strengthening-toughening effect and looser compatibility restriction compared with the random staggered pattern.
COMPOSITES SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Thermodynamics
HanWei Huang, Hao Yu, WenLong Xu, ChengSi Lyu, Marembo Micheal, HengYu Xu, He Liu, HengAn Wu
Summary: The fully coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical-chemical (THMC) model is established to consider the mechanical response during the in-situ conversion process (ICP) of oil shale. The model incorporates rock deformation, mass source terms from kerogen pyrolysis, and a stress- and temperature-dependent model for porosity and permeability evolution. The results demonstrate that the heating process significantly alters the porosity and permeability, affecting the heat transfer and fluid flow processes. Various engineering parameters are analyzed to optimize the ICP technology.
Article
Engineering, Multidisciplinary
Quan Wang, Hao Yu, WenLong Xu, ChengSi Lyu, JiaNing Zhang, Marembo Micheal, HengAn Wu
Summary: We propose a unified criterion based on dimensional analysis to model fluid-driven fracture. The correlation between discretization and physical parameters of fluid-driven fracture is still unclear due to the nonlinear interaction between solid deformation and fluid flow. Through dimensionless analysis, this work establishes a correlation between cohesive element and time step sizes in a discrete regime. The proposed criterion is validated through numerical tests and provides spatial and temporal constraints for modeling fluid-driven fracture.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL METHODS IN ENGINEERING
(2023)
Editorial Material
Chemistry, Physical
Jun Lu, Huanting Wang
Summary: A high ligand/metal ion concentration ratio strategy eliminates lattice defects in polycrystalline zirconium metal-organic framework membranes, enhancing their molecular sieving performance.
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Zhihao Zhao, Chao Ma, Lingyun Xu, Zhenwei Yu, Dong Wang, Lei Jiang, Xiangyu Jiang, Guangcheng Gao
Summary: In this paper, polyaniline microwire arrays were prepared by combining a wettability interface dewetting process and a liquid-film-induced capillary bridges method. The factors influencing the preparation of microwire arrays were investigated, and a formation rate of 100% was achieved under specific conditions. The prepared microwire arrays exhibited sulfur dioxide sensing abilities at room temperature with a response speed of about 20 s and a detection limit of 1 ppm.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2023)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Xin Zhang, Shan Zhou, Lei Xie, Hui Zeng, Tianyi Liu, Yanan Huang, Miao Yan, Qirui Liang, Kang Liang, Lei Jiang, Biao Kong
Summary: Light-controlled nanochannels composed of 4-aminothiophenol and gold nanoparticles-modified mesoporous titania nanopillar arrays and alumina oxide (4-ATP-Au-MTI/AAO) are fabricated by the interfacial super-assembly strategy. Under illumination, the wettability of the nanochannel changes, resulting in a significant improvement of the photoresponsive current. This work opens a new route for the fabrication of high-performance light-controlled nanochannels by coupling light-responsive materials and light-responsive molecules.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Xin Lei, Jiayan Zhang, Hao Hong, Jiangtao Wei, Zewen Liu, Lei Jiang
Summary: This study successfully fabricated funnel-shaped nanopores with a diameter of 7 nm on suspended Si3N4 films using focused ion beam (FIB) technology. These nanopores exhibited high rectification performance without additional modification, making them potential candidates for practical applications.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Shijie Liu, Chengqi Zhang, Tao Shen, Zidong Zhan, Jia Peng, Cunlong Yu, Lei Jiang, Zhichao Dong
Summary: This study presents a drip irrigation system inspired by the morphology of bodhi tree leaves, which can enhance water saving and seedling growth.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Zhuoxing Liu, Zidong Zhan, Tao Shen, Ning Li, Chengqi Zhang, Cunlong Yu, Chuxin Li, Yifan Si, Lei Jiang, Zhichao Dong
Summary: This study combines superwettability and bio-inspired topological structures to develop a dual-bionic superwetting gear system for efficient oil-water separation. This method has significant importance in the treatment of oily wastewater.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Xiang Li, Shuai Pang, Yuhui Zhang, Jiangwei Fu, Guandi He, Bo Song, Daoling Peng, Xiqi Zhang, Lei Jiang
Summary: The aim of this study is to develop an environmentally friendly, safe, and simple method for efficient preparation of aspirin. Inspired by enzyme synthesis in living organisms, researchers have successfully achieved rapid synthesis of aspirin with nearly 100% conversion. This synthesis method utilizes catalytic graphene oxide membranes to confine reactants in a two-dimensional sub-nano space, providing a new approach for aspirin preparation.
ADVANCED MATERIALS
(2023)