中央研究院 Logo

Abstract:

The advancement in energy-efficient separation is crucial for sustainable processes, encompassing water purification, wastewater treatment, and metal ion recovery [1, 2].  This research aims to leverage insights into molecular transport within 1D nanopores/nanochannels to develop advanced separation materials at the water-energy nexus [3].  My research prospects focus on the exploration of nanoscale features and macroscopic performance: “Investigating confined fluid behaviors within 1D nanopores to 2D polymeric materials for achieving highly selective separations, energy utilization, and sustainability”.

Biomimetic and bioinspired membranes (BBMs) designed with precise pore-forming membrane proteins (MPs) or MP-mimic porous frameworks offer enhanced molecular selectivity and transport [4].  In this talk, I will first describe the comprehensive fabrication of MP-block copolymer (BCP) biomimetic membranes for targeted molecular separations.  These membranes exhibit enhanced water permeability, surpassing commercial membranes by one to three orders of magnitude while maintaining tunable solute selectivity (500 Da to 1,000 Da) inferred from pore sizes of three MP channels [5, 6].  Modified fabrication processes yield dehydrated nanoporous biomimetic membranes with high water vapor permeability and protective capabilities against external threats [7].  BBMs hold promise for various applications, including membrane distillation, dehumidification, desalination, and protective barriers for atmospheric water harvesting materials.

The next topic will discuss two nanofluidic platforms designed to investigate confined fluid behaviors, quantum effects, and small molecule separations: single-digit nanopores (SDNs) and novel 2D polyaramid polymers (2DPA-1).  Fluids confined inside SDN nanoconduits with pore dimensions comparable to the size of the fluid molecules exhibit fluid transport and thermodynamic properties that differ remarkably from their bulk analogs.  Here, I develop a high-throughput platform utilizing suspended carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as bioinspired channels to elucidate environmental coupling effects by the damped oscillator mechanisms and Langmuir adsorption isobar model.  This research further explores fluid phase transitions and molecular structure under strong confinement using Raman laser-induced fluid isobars [8], vibrational electron energy-loss spectroscopy (vEELS) [9], and prediction based on the simple continuum equation of state (EOS).

Additionally, I will further introduce a novel 2D polyaramid polymer (2DPA-1), functioning as a hydrogen-bonding graphene analog, which can be used as impermeable, in-plane mechanically, and chemically stable materials for ultra He and H₂ impermeable barriers (less than 10^-6 Barrer) and as the next generation of membrane matrices and organic electronics [10].  These studies demonstrate the exceptional potential of 1D CNTs and MPs as nanochannel systems and 2DPA-1 as a synthetically processable molecule, promising advancements in sustainable nanofluidic applications, applied physics, nanoscience, and energy-efficient strategies at the energy-water-environment nexus. 

Keywords: 2D Bioinspired Materials and Polymers; Nanoconfined Fluidics; Biomimetic Membranes; Self-Assembly of Membrane Proteins and Block copolymers; Energy-efficient Separations

References:

1. Park, H. B., Kamcev, J., Robeson, L. M., Elimelech, M., and Freeman, B. D., "Maximizing the right stuff: The trade-off between membrane permeability and selectivity." Science 356.6343 (2017): eaab0530.
2. Samineni, L., De Respino, S., Tu, Y. M., Chowdhury, R., Mohanty, R. P., Oh, H., ... and Kumar, M.  "Effective pathogen removal in sustainable natural fiber Moringa filters." npj Clean Water 5.1 (2022): 1-12. 
3. Tu, Y.M., Samineni, L., Ren, T., Schantz, A.B., Song, W., Sharma, S. and Kumar, M., "Prospective applications of nanometer-scale pore size biomimetic and bioinspired membranes." Journal of Membrane Science (2021): 118968.
4. Song, W., Tu, Y.M., Oh, H., Samineni, L. and Kumar, M., "Hierarchical optimization of high-performance biomimetic and bioinspired membranes." Langmuir 35, no. 3 (2018): 589-607. (Featured as ACS Editor's Choice)
5. Tu, Y.M.^†, Song, W.^†, Ren, T.^†, ... and Kumar, M., "Rapid fabrication of precise high-throughput filters from membrane protein nanosheets." Nature Materials 19, no. 3 (2020): 347-354. (Featured as the cover of the March 2020 Issue)
6. Kumar, M., Ren, T., Song, W. and Tu, Y.M., "Organic solvent method for preparing membrane protein-based nanosheets and membranes based on nanosheets." U.S. Patent 11, 235, 286, issued February 1, 2022.
7. Oh, H.^†, Tu, Y. M.^†, Samineni, L., De Respino. S., Mehrafrooz, B., Joshi, H., Massenburg, L., Lopez, H., Elessawy, N., Song, W., Behera, H., Boorla, V.S., Lin, Y.C., Maranas, C., Aksimentiev, A., Freeman, B.D. and Kumar, M., "Dehydrated biomimetic membranes with skin-like structure and function." (Accepted (2024), ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces)
8. Tu, Y.M., Kuehne, M., Misra, R.H., Ritt, C.L., Faucher, S., Oliaei, H., Li, H., Xu, X., Yang, J., Penn, A., Cumings, J., Majumdar, A., Aluru, N.R., Blankschtein, D. and Strano, M.S. "Environmental damping and vibrational coupling of confined fluids within isolated carbon nanotubes." (Minor revision, Nature Communications)
9. Xu, X., Jin, X., Kuehne, M., Bao, D.L, Martis, J., Tu, Y.M., Ritt, C.L., Idrobo, J., Strano, M.S., Majumdar, A., Pantelides, S.T., and Hachtel, J.A. "Hydrogen bonding of water under extreme confinement unveiled by nanoscale vibrational spectroscopy and simulations." (Under review, Nature and arXiv paper)
10. Zeng, Y., Gordiichuk, P., Ichihara, T., Zhang, G., Sandoz-Rosado, E., Wetzel, E. D., ... and Strano, M. S., "Irreversible synthesis of an ultrastrong two-dimensional polymeric material." Nature, 602.7895 (2022): 91-95.