Two-Dimensional Sulfonate-Functionalized Metal-Organic Framework Membranes for Efficient Lithium-Ion Sieving

Yinjie Lv; Zhongqin Dai; Yu Chen; Yuan Lu; Xinshui Zhang; Jiameng Yu; Wenbo Zhai; Yi Yu; Zhaoyin Wen; Yuanyuan Cui; Wei Liu

doi:10.1021/acs.nanolett.3c04773

Two-Dimensional Sulfonate-Functionalized Metal-Organic Framework Membranes for Efficient Lithium-Ion Sieving

Nano Lett. 2024 Mar 6;24(9):2782-2788. doi: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.3c04773. Epub 2024 Feb 27.

Authors

Yinjie Lv^{1

2}, Zhongqin Dai^{1

3}, Yu Chen^{1

2}, Yuan Lu^{1

2}, Xinshui Zhang^{1

2}, Jiameng Yu^{1

2}, Wenbo Zhai^{1

2}, Yi Yu^{1

2}, Zhaoyin Wen^{1

3}, Yuanyuan Cui⁴, Wei Liu^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ School of Physical Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China.
² Shanghai Key Laboratory of High-resolution Electron Microscopy, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China.
³ The State Key Laboratory of High Performance Ceramics and Superfine Microstructure, Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200050, China.
⁴ School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China.

PMID: 38411082
DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.3c04773

Abstract

Two-dimensional (2D) membranes have shown promising potential for ion-selective separation but often suffer from the trade-off between permeability and selectivity. Herein, we report an ultrathin 2D sulfonate-functionalized metal-organic framework (MOF) membrane for efficient lithium-ion sieving. The narrow pores with angstrom precision in the MOF assist hydrated ions to partially remove the hydration shell, according to different hydration energies. The abundant sulfonate groups in the MOF channels serve as hopping sites for fast lithium-ion transport, contributing to a high Li-ion permeability. Then, the difference in affinity of the Li⁺, Na⁺, K⁺, and Mg²⁺ ions to the terminal sulfonate groups further enhances the Li-ion selectivity. The reported ultrathin MOF membrane overcomes the trade-off between permeability and selectivity and opens up a new avenue for highly permselective membranes.

Keywords: 2D nanosheets; ion sieving; metal−organic framework; nanopores; polystyrenesulfonate.