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Journal article
Precision Molecular Sieving Enabled by Tunable Slit-like Nanochannels in Anodic Aluminum Oxide-Supported MXene/GO Composite Membranes
ACS applied materials & interfaces, v 18(16), pp 23227-23238
13 Apr 2026
PMID: 41978354
Featured in Collection : Drexel's Newest Publications
Abstract
Overcoming the permeance-selectivity trade-off in membrane-based separations requires materials with precisely defined nanochannels and robust molecular sieving capabilities. Two-dimensional nanomaterials offer such control; however, random stacking of nanosheets often produces disordered transport pathways that limit separation performance. Here, we report anodic aluminum oxide-supported Ti3C2Tx MXene/graphene oxide (GO) composite membranes with tunable interlayer spacing and enhanced sheet alignment for ultrahigh molecular sieving. Large-area GO flakes seal structural defects within the MXene scaffold while inducing well-aligned, slit-like nanochannels. At an optimized MXene/GO weight ratio of 1:1, the composite membranes achieve a H2 permeance of 2681.6 GPU (2011.2 GPU under mixed-gas conditions) with a H2/CO2 selectivity of 536.3 (457.1 under mixed-gas conditions), substantially surpassing the performance of state-of-the-art membranes. Molecular simulations reveal that ordered interlayer galleries and tailored slit pores underpin this exceptional molecular sieving behavior. This scalable composite platform enables high-precision separations for applications such as gas purification, advanced water treatment, and organic solvent nanofiltration.
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Details
- Title
- Precision Molecular Sieving Enabled by Tunable Slit-like Nanochannels in Anodic Aluminum Oxide-Supported MXene/GO Composite Membranes
- Creators
- Mohammad Mozafari - Drexel UniversityAli Pournaghshband Isfahani - Drexel UniversitySaeed Khoshhal Salestan - University of AlbertaManushree Tanwar - University of PennsylvaniaZahra Fakhraai - University of PennsylvaniaMasoud Soroush (Corresponding Author) - Drexel University
- Publication Details
- ACS applied materials & interfaces, v 18(16), pp 23227-23238
- Publisher
- American Chemical Society
- Number of pages
- 12
- Grant note
M.M., M.T., Z.F., and M.S. acknowledge financial support from the U.S. National Science Foundation (CMMI-2134607). M.M. and M.S. also acknowledge support from the Firuza Foundation, while M.T. and Z.F. acknowledge support from the Vagelos Institute for Science and Technology. The authors thank Professor Nicholas Alvarez (Drexel University) for providing access to the DLS instrument in his laboratory. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Chemical and Biological Engineering
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:001740382800001
- Other Identifier
- 991022173639704721