Formation of a thin and continuous MOF membrane with 2-D MOF nanosheets as seeds via layer-by-layer growth

Current MOF composite membranes usually suffer from unduly thick MOF layers and poor adhesion with the polymer substrate. We prepared a thin MOF film (440 nm) on a polymer support with 2-D MOF nanosheets as seeds via a layer-by-layer growth. These 2-D MOF seeds not only provided bonding between the MOF film and the polymer substrate but also facilitated the formation of a continuous and defect-free MOF membrane, which demonstrated excellent performance in gas separation.