Ultrapermeable 2D-channeled graphene-wrapped zeolite molecular sieving membranes for hydrogen separation

Abstract

The efficient separation of hydrogen from methane and light hydrocarbons for clean energy applications remains a technical challenge in membrane science. To address this issue, we prepared a graphene-wrapped MFI (G-MFI) molecular-sieving membrane for the ultrafast separation of hydrogen from methane at a permeability reaching 5.8 × 106 barrers at a single gas selectivity of 245 and a mixed gas selectivity of 50. Our results set an upper bound for hydrogen separation. Efficient molecular sieving comes from the subnanoscale interfacial space between graphene and zeolite crystal faces according to molecular dynamic simulations. The hierarchical pore structure of the G-MFI membrane enabled rapid permeability, indicating a promising route for the ultrafast separation of hydrogen/methane and carbon dioxide/methane in view of energy-efficient industrial gas separation.