Mass transport through graphene/polymer composite membranes

Abstract

While graphene is a gas-impermeable, one-atom-thick, strong membrane observed in nature, it would be greatly beneficial to use it as a perspective membrane for selective mass transport, if not only cavities could be properly formed on its basal plane but also interlayer channel engineered. Such concepts would result in the most ideal membrane ever, if achieved, with the lowest permeation resistance via atomic layer thickness, but these approaches remain limited as several theoretical studies. Here we report that graphene family can become truly exciting building blocks units for good barriers or selective mass transport, serving as new-type nanocarbons in the form of polymer composite membranes. With available channel engineering and existing cavity evolution technologies, these graphene/polymer composite membranes can be used for gas and liquid separation.