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Exponentially selective molecular sieving through angstrom pores
- Source :
- Nature Communications, Nature Communications, Vol 12, Iss 1, Pp 1-7 (2021), Nature communications
- Publication Year :
- 2021
- Publisher :
- Nature Publishing Group UK, 2021.
-
Abstract
- Two-dimensional crystals with angstrom-scale pores are widely considered as candidates for a next generation of molecular separation technologies aiming to provide extreme, exponentially large selectivity combined with high flow rates. No such pores have been demonstrated experimentally. Here we study gas transport through individual graphene pores created by low intensity exposure to low kV electrons. Helium and hydrogen permeate easily through these pores whereas larger species such as xenon and methane are practically blocked. Permeating gases experience activation barriers that increase quadratically with molecules’ kinetic diameter, and the effective diameter of the created pores is estimated as ∼2 angstroms, about one missing carbon ring. Our work reveals stringent conditions for achieving the long sought-after exponential selectivity using porous two-dimensional membranes and suggests limits on their possible performance.<br />Two-dimensional membranes with angstrom-sized pores are predicted to combine high permeability with exceptional selectivity, but experimental demonstration has been challenging. Here the authors realize angstrom-sized pores in monolayer graphene and demonstrate gas transport with activation barriers increasing quadratically with the molecular kinetic diameter.
- Subjects :
- Condensed Matter - Materials Science
Multidisciplinary
Nanoscale materials
Condensed Matter - Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics
Science
Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci)
FOS: Physical sciences
General Physics and Astronomy
General Chemistry
General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
Article
Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics (cond-mat.mes-hall)
Graphene
Engineering sciences. Technology
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 20411723
- Volume :
- 12
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Nature Communications
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....77fce9b07d3708e49d3dc6830a2cee8f