Yumeng Zhao

Abstract Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) hold great promise in molecular separations owing to their robust, ordered and tunable porous network structures. Currently, the pore size of COFs is usually much larger than most small molecules. Meanwhile, the weak interlamellar interaction between COF nanosheets impedes the preparation of defect-free membranes. Herein, we report a series of COF membranes through a mixed-dimensional assembly of 2D COF nanosheets and 1D cellulose nanofibers (CNFs). The pore size of 0.45–1.0 nm is acquired from the sheltering effect of CNFs, rendering membranes precise molecular sieving ability, besides the multiple interactions between COFs and CNFs elevate membrane stability. Accordingly, the membranes exhibit a flux of 8.53 kg m −2 h −1 with a separation factor of 3876 for n-butanol dehydration, and high permeance of 42.8 L m −2 h −1 bar −1 with a rejection of 96.8% for Na 2 SO 4 removal. Our mixed-dimensional design may inspire the fabrication and application of COF membranes.

The ability to accurately identify and isolate cells is the cornerstone of precise disease diagnosis and therapies. A single-step cell identification method based on logic analysis of multiple surface markers will have unique advantages because of its accuracy and efficacy. Herein, using multiple DNA aptamers for cancer biomarker recognition and associative toehold activation for signal integration and amplification as two molecular keys, we have successfully operated a cell-surface device that can perform AND Boolean logic analysis of multiple biomarkers and precisely label the target cell subtype in large populations of similar cells via the presence or absence of different biomarkers. Our approach can achieve single-step cancer cell identification and isolation with excellent sensitivity and accuracy and thus will have broad applications in biological science, biomedical engineering, and personalized medicine.

Electrified membranes (EMs) have the potential to address inherent limitations of conventional membrane technologies. Recent studies have demonstrated that EMs exhibit enhanced functions beyond separation. Electrification could enhance the performance and sustainability of membrane technologies and stimulate new applications in water and wastewater treatment. Herein, we first describe EM materials, synthesis methods, electrofiltration modules, and operating modes. Next, we highlight applications of EMs in water decontamination, purification, and disinfection. Additionally, we discuss state-of-the-art electrification methods for controlling membrane organic fouling, biofouling, and inorganic scaling. We also evaluate the energy consumption of EMs for water treatment and fouling control. We conclude by discussing the challenges for improving the stability and practicality of EMs and by proposing pathways for future research and development. On the basis of our discussion, we suggest that EMs may be viable for ultrafiltration and microfiltration but not for salt-rejecting reverse osmosis and nanofiltration applications. Further, we find that EMs are promising for decontamination and organic fouling control, and these systems could be deployed for fit-for-purpose distributed treatment applications.

OH within the pores under confinement and showed excellent resiliency to representative water matrices (simulated surface water and sand filtration effluent samples). Moreover, the membrane exhibited sustained AOPs (>24 h) and could be regenerated for multiple cycles. Our results suggest the feasibility of exploiting ultrafiltration membrane-based AOP platforms for organic pollutant degradation in complex water scenarios.

Abstract The importance of singlet oxygen ( 1 O 2 ) in the environmental and biomedical fields has motivated research for effective 1 O 2 production. Electrocatalytic processes hold great potential for highly-automated and scalable 1 O 2 synthesis, but they are energy- and chemical-intensive. Herein, we present a Janus electrocatalytic membrane realizing ultra-efficient 1 O 2 production (6.9 mmol per m 3 of permeate) and very low energy consumption (13.3 Wh per m 3 of permeate) via a fast, flow-through electro-filtration process without the addition of chemical precursors. We confirm that a superoxide-mediated chain reaction, initiated by electrocatalytic oxygen reduction on the cathodic membrane side and subsequently terminated by H 2 O 2 oxidation on the anodic membrane side, is crucial for 1 O 2 generation. We further demonstrate that the high 1 O 2 production efficiency is mainly attributable to the enhanced mass and charge transfer imparted by nano- and micro-confinement effects within the porous membrane structure. Our findings highlight a new electro-filtration strategy and an innovative reactive membrane design for synthesizing 1 O 2 for a broad range of potential applications including environmental remediation.