Low-Resistance Thiophene-Based Conjugated Microporous Polymer Nanotube Filters for Efficient Particulate Matter Capture and Oil/Water Separation

Air and water pollution poses a serious threat to m. public health and the sustainable development of the ecological environment. Here, we report the fabrication of new low-resistance nanofilters based on thiophene-based conjugated microporous polymer (T-CMP) nanotubes to remove harmful particulate matter (PM) from air effectively. T-CMP nanotube filters feature inherent superhydrophobicity and hierarchical pores and are prepared by a facile one-pot synthesis. The PM removal efficiency of T-CMP nanotube filters at 90 +/- 5% relative humidity exceeds 99.798 +/- 0.055% for PM0.3 and 99.998 +/- 0.002% for PM2.5, while the lowest pressure drop in the filtration system is only 5 Pa, which is 1-2 orders of magnitude lower than that of traditional fiber-based filters. Benefitting from their excellent porous feature and intrinsic superhydrophobicity, T-CMP nanotube filters also display higher flux during continuous oil-water separation. Based on this superior separation performance, better physicochemical stability, facile manufacturing, and easy scaling-up, such T-CMP nanotube filters might hold great potential for a wide range of applications even under harsh conditions, including PM removal, water treatment, and so on.

Automated summary

The new T-CMP nanotube filters have excellent PM removal efficiency and low pressure drop, as well as higher flux in oil-water separation. Their superior porous feature, intrinsic superhydrophobicity, and simple manufacturing process make them potentially valuable in various applications.