Membrane Design for Ultrafast Transport and Precise Molecular Sieving

Energy-intensive separation processes in the fossil fuel, chemical, and pharmaceutical industries account for 10–15% of global energy consumption due to the heat required for phase changes in traditional evaporation and distillation methods. Membrane technologies, which separate molecules based on size or chemical affinity without phase changes, offer a promising alternative, potentially reducing carbon emissions by up to 90%. However, achieving precise control over membrane thickness and pore structure has long been a challenge in the field.

To overcome this, we have developed an interfacial polymerization process at a free interface, reducing the separating layer thickness to sub-10 nanometers, resulting in a dramatic increase in liquid permeation rates by orders of magnitude. Additionally, by introducing hydrophobic blocks into the precursors, we have shifted the affinity of membrane surfaces from hydrophilic to hydrophobic, facilitating rapid transport and selective fractionation in crude oil processing.

Moreover, incorporating porous materials with rigid, well-defined cavities, such as porous organic cages and macrocycles, into the membrane structure has allowed us to align their cavities as permeation channels across the membrane. This alignment enables precise control of pore dimensions with angstrom-level accuracy, allowing for the highly selective separation of pharmaceutical molecules with closely similar sizes. This breakthrough opens new possibilities for the use of membranes in the high-value pharmaceutical industry.

Dr. Zhiwei Jiang completed his PhD in Chemical Engineering at Imperial College London in 2017. He subsequently worked as a postdoctoral research associate at Imperial College and Queen Mary University of London. His research focuses on the design and fabrication of ultrathin, porous, and functionalized membranes for advanced separations, including reverse osmosis, hydrocarbon fractionation, and pharmaceutical enrichment. In 2022, he was awarded the prestigious Future Leaders Fellowships and began his current role as Head of Membrane Research at Exactmer Limited. His research has been published in world-leading interdisciplinary journals, including Nature, Science, and Nature Materials. His contributions to the field of membrane science have been widely recognized through the award of prizes including European federation of Chemical Engineering and European Membrane Society Joint Excellence Award in Membrane Engineering 2024, and European Membrane Society Young Academics Awards 2022.