Amorphous polymers separate small organic molecules with switchable selective states

Jiani Li, Changhui Liu, Peiyao Yan, Kaijie Chen, Yan Jiang, Dongdong Liu, Huiting Shan, Xianyu Song, Bohui Lyu, Jianwen Jiang and Siowling Soh ()
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Jiani Li: National University of Singapore
Changhui Liu: National University of Singapore
Peiyao Yan: National University of Singapore
Kaijie Chen: National University of Singapore
Yan Jiang: National University of Singapore
Dongdong Liu: National University of Singapore
Huiting Shan: National University of Singapore
Xianyu Song: National University of Singapore
Bohui Lyu: National University of Singapore
Jianwen Jiang: National University of Singapore
Siowling Soh: National University of Singapore

Nature Communications, 2025, vol. 16, issue 1, 1-12

Abstract: Abstract Structured porous materials, including metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and covalent-organic frameworks (COFs), are being intensely developed because they can separate small molecules via precisely constructed and uniformly sized pores, despite challenges that hinder practical use. Polymers are structurally amorphous; hence, they are not considered fundamentally capable of separating different organic molecules. This manuscript reports that amorphous polymers can be prepared to separate different small organic molecules (i.e., solutes dissolved in a solvent) effectively, with very large separation factors of ~1000 and ~100,000. Effective separation involves fundamentally a delicate balance between hydrophobicity and hydrophilicity and dynamic mobility of polymeric chains to produce optimal pores. Therefore, structured pores are not fundamentally essential for molecular separation — amorphous pores are effective. These stimuli-responsive polymers have reversibly switchable states with completely opposite selectivities. They are multifunctional: they separate by polarity, size, and with opposite selectivities. Hence, they can separate many different molecules in complex solutions. These polymers are simple and inexpensive to fabricate for widespread use.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-62560-w

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