Wenjing Ye , Sisi Xiao , Jiahui Yuan, Sangshan Peng, Qing He
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
Supramolecular-engineered pseudo-nanophase separation offers a compelling strategy for fabricating ion-conducting membranes with industrial scalability while maintaining rapid ion transport and chemical robustness. However, fundamental distinctions between pseudo-nanophase separation and its conventional counterpart remain poorly understood. We engineered ion-conducting membranes featuring snowflake-like multi-branched hydrophilic sidechains through covalent and supramolecular grafting, inducing conventional versus pseudo-nanophase separation. Comparative analysis revealed both architectures form analogous 4–11 nm hydrophilic domains (∼7 nm median) through hydrophobic/hydrophilic segregation. Though conventional domains contain tethered sidechains versus sulfuric acid solutions in pseudo-separated counterparts, the membranes demonstrate comparable area resistances (0.25 vs 0.24 Ω cm2) and vanadium permeabilities (1.1 vs 1.3 10−9 m2 s−1), leading to indistinguishable efficiencies and cycling stability in vanadium redox flow batteries. The observed functional equivalence, wherein proton transfer kinetics and vanadium-ion exclusion are largely insensitive to the molecular constitution of the engineered nanochannels, challenges conventional membrane design paradigms emphasizing covalent architectures for optimal ion selectivity. This finding advances the mechanistic understanding of nanochannel-mediated ion transport and substantiates the high credibility and efficiency of the pseudo-nanophase separation strategy.
期刊介绍:
The Journal of Membrane Science is a publication that focuses on membrane systems and is aimed at academic and industrial chemists, chemical engineers, materials scientists, and membranologists. It publishes original research and reviews on various aspects of membrane transport, membrane formation/structure, fouling, module/process design, and processes/applications. The journal primarily focuses on the structure, function, and performance of non-biological membranes but also includes papers that relate to biological membranes. The Journal of Membrane Science publishes Full Text Papers, State-of-the-Art Reviews, Letters to the Editor, and Perspectives.