New development technique requires less
energy to create nanofilms (w/ Video)
19 June 2015, by Bob Yirka
solvents. In this new effort, the researchers describe
a technique they have developed that allows for the
creation of nanofilms that are twice as permeable
as those currently in use and have the added
benefit of more surface area and are stronger to
boot.
Sub-10 nm free-standing nanofilm on a wire lasso.
Credit: Santanu Karan
A trio of researchers working at Imperial College in
London has created a new development technique
for constructing nanofilms that not only requires
less energy but results in a product that is able to
stand up to organic solvents. In their paper
published in the journal Science, Santanu Karan,
Zhiwei Jiang and Andrew Livingston describe their
new process and the uses to which it might be put.
Viatcheslav Freger of the Technion-Israel Institute
of Technology, describes the work done by the
team in a Perspective piece in the same journal
issue, highlighting the two main innovations the
team developed.
Researcher holding sub-10 nm free-standing nanofilm on
a wire lasso. Credit: Imperial College London
The membranes developed by the team were
created using a modified version of interfacial
polymerization where a sacrificial layer was used to
help support the mix and treat the film (one of the
innovations they added). They started by
synthesizing a membrane of m-phenylenediaminetrimesoyl chloride that had terminal carboxylic acid
groups on one side. That material was then layered
onto another membrane that had a crumpled
texture (their other innovation) which served to
increase the surface area. They finished by
As Freger notes, separating molecules out of
exposing the film to a swelling solvent to increase
materials as part of developing products is an
its porosity. The result was a 10 nanometers thick
expensive part of product development—oftentimes
membrane (on the same scale as cell membranes)
it requires applying heat as part of an evaporative
capable of filtering molecules as part of a
technique—a cheaper alternative would be filters,
production process. Testing showed the membrane
but attempts at developing them for many
able to filter 112 liters of solvent per square meter
applications has been hindered by harshness of
per hour per bar of pressure, which is
1/2
approximately twice the ability of membranes
currently being used.
The team believes their new technique could be
used in many chemical processes and should result
in significant savings for product development.
More information: Science 19 June 2015: Vol.
348 no. 6241 pp. 1347-1351. DOI:
10.1126/science.aaa5058
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