The makings of permeable membranes A challenge in making membranes is finding ways to control the pore structure during the fabrication process or through postfabrication treatment. The deposition of a zeolitic imidazolate framework material called ZIF-8 onto an alumina support gives a dense, impermeable material. However, when Ma et al. exposed this material to vapors of 2-methylimidazole, it transformed into a porous material able to separate propylene from propane. Science, this issue p. 1008 Vapor treatment of alumina-supported zeolitic imidazolate framework membranes allows for separation of propylene from propane. Zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF) membranes are emerging as a promising energy-efficient separation technology. However, their reliable and scalable manufacturing remains a challenge. We demonstrate the fabrication of ZIF nanocomposite membranes by means of an all-vapor-phase processing method based on atomic layer deposition (ALD) of ZnO in a porous support followed by ligand-vapor treatment. After ALD, the obtained nanocomposite exhibits low flux and is not selective, whereas after ligand-vapor (2-methylimidazole) treatment, it is partially transformed to ZIF and shows stable performance with high mixture separation factor for propylene over propane (an energy-intensive high-volume separation) and high propylene flux. Membrane synthesis through ligand-induced permselectivation of a nonselective and impermeable deposit is shown to be simple and highly reproducible and holds promise for scalability.

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通过配体诱导的选择性渗透制备沸石咪唑酯骨架膜

渗透膜的制造 制造膜的一个挑战是找到在制造过程中或通过制造后处理控制孔结构的方法。将称为 ZIF-8 的沸石咪唑酯骨架材料沉积在氧化铝载体上可提供致密的不渗透材料。然而，当马等人。将这种材料暴露在 2-甲基咪唑的蒸气中，它变成了一种多孔材料，能够将丙烯与丙烷分离。科学，这个问题 p。1008 氧化铝负载的沸石咪唑酯骨架膜的蒸汽处理允许从丙烷中分离丙烯。沸石咪唑酯骨架 (ZIF) 膜正在成为一种有前途的节能分离技术。然而，它们可靠且可扩展的制造仍然是一个挑战。我们展示了通过基于 ZnO 在多孔载体中的原子层沉积 (ALD) 和配体蒸汽处理的全气相处理方法制造 ZIF 纳米复合膜。在 ALD 之后，获得的纳米复合材料表现出低通量且没有选择性，而在配体 - 蒸气（2-甲基咪唑）处理后，它部分转化为 ZIF 并表现出稳定的性能，丙烯比丙烷（一种能源密集型）具有高混合物分离系数高容量分离）和高丙烯通量。通过配体诱导的非选择性和不可渗透沉积物的渗透选择性的膜合成被证明是简单且高度可重复的，并有望实现可扩展性。