Journal
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
Volume 56, Issue 31, Pages 8974-8980Publisher
WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH
DOI: 10.1002/anie.201701288
Keywords
g-C3N4 nanosheets; membranes; self-supporting structures; separation; ultralow friction
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Funding
- Natural Science Foundation of China [21536005, 51621001, 21606086]
- Natural Science Foundation of the Guangdong Province [2014A030312007]
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Two-dimensional (2D) graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) nanosheets show brilliant application potential in numerous fields. Herein, a membrane with artificial nanopores and self-supporting spacers was fabricated by assembly of 2D g-C3N4 nanosheets in a stack with elaborate structures. In water purification the g-C3N4 membrane shows a better separation performance than commercial membranes. The g-C3N4 membrane has a water permeance of 29 Lm(-2) h(-1) bar(-1) and a rejection rate of 87% for 3 nm molecules with a membrane thickness of 160 nm. The artificial nanopores in the g-C3N4 nanosheets and the spacers between the partially exfoliated g-C3N4 nanosheets provide nanochannels for water transport while bigger molecules are retained. The self-supported nanochannels in the g-C3N4 membrane are very stable and rigid enough to resist environmental challenges, such as changes to pH and pressure conditions. Permeation experiments and molecular dynamics simulations indicate that a novel nanofluidics phenomenon takes place, whereby water transport through the g-C3N4 nanosheet membrane occurs with ultralow friction. The findings provide new understanding of fluidics in nanochannels and illuminate a fabrication method by which rigid nanochannels may be obtained for applications in complex or harsh environments.
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