Near-frictionless ion transport within triazine framework membranes

Peipei Zuo, Chunchun Ye, Zhongren Jiao, Jian Luo, Junkai Fang, Ulrich S. Schubert, Neil B. McKeown, T. Leo Liu (), Zhengjin Yang () and Tongwen Xu ()
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Peipei Zuo: University of Science and Technology of China
Chunchun Ye: University of Edinburgh
Zhongren Jiao: University of Science and Technology of China
Jian Luo: Utah State University, Chemistry and Biochemistry
Junkai Fang: University of Science and Technology of China
Ulrich S. Schubert: Friedrich Schiller University Jena
Neil B. McKeown: University of Edinburgh
T. Leo Liu: Utah State University, Chemistry and Biochemistry
Zhengjin Yang: University of Science and Technology of China
Tongwen Xu: University of Science and Technology of China

Nature, 2023, vol. 617, issue 7960, 299-305

Abstract: Abstract The enhancement of separation processes and electrochemical technologies such as water electrolysers1,2, fuel cells3,4, redox flow batteries5,6 and ion-capture electrodialysis7 depends on the development of low-resistance and high-selectivity ion-transport membranes. The transport of ions through these membranes depends on the overall energy barriers imposed by the collective interplay of pore architecture and pore–analyte interaction8,9. However, it remains challenging to design efficient, scaleable and low-cost selective ion-transport membranes that provide ion channels for low-energy-barrier transport. Here we pursue a strategy that allows the diffusion limit of ions in water to be approached for large-area, free-standing, synthetic membranes using covalently bonded polymer frameworks with rigidity-confined ion channels. The near-frictionless ion flow is synergistically fulfilled by robust micropore confinement and multi-interaction between ion and membrane, which afford, for instance, a Na+ diffusion coefficient of 1.18 × 10−9 m2 s–1, close to the value in pure water at infinite dilution, and an area-specific membrane resistance as low as 0.17 Ω cm2. We demonstrate highly efficient membranes in rapidly charging aqueous organic redox flow batteries that deliver both high energy efficiency and high-capacity utilization at extremely high current densities (up to 500 mA cm–2), and also that avoid crossover-induced capacity decay. This membrane design concept may be broadly applicable to membranes for a wide range of electrochemical devices and for precise molecular separation.

Date: 2023
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DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-05888-x

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