Publication

All-in-one Microfluidic Platform Laboratory

Journal

Two-dimensional membranes with precisely controlled graphitic nanoconduits for ultrafast water vapour transport
Author
Seung Yeon Yoo, Inho Park, Jae Eun Shin, Jiwoo Jang, Hyeok Jin Kwon, Marcel Núñez, Geun Ho Gu*, Hyo Won Kim*, Ho Bum Park*
Journal
Chemical Engineering Journal
Page
166184
Year
2025
Graphene oxide (GO) has emerged as a prominent membrane material due to its potential for precise gas and liquid separations enabled by surface modification and channel optimisation. Here, we present tunable graphitic nanofluidic channels-containing GO (gGO) membranes, characterised by a continuous sp2 hybridised carbon lattice distributed across 35 %–72 % of their structure. This architecture enables exceptional water vapour permeability through a Fickian diffusion mechanism, contrasting the non-Fickian transport typically observed in conventional GO membranes. Our findings demonstrate ultrafast water vapour transport through well-defined hydrophobic nanofluidic channels, achieving enhanced water vapour/N2 selectivity. Utilising scalable, top-down multi-scale simulations based on the inverse Ising method, we elucidate the critical role of graphitic sp2 domains in optimising selective diffusion pathways for water molecules. The resulting gGO-based thin-film composite membranes deliver state-of-the-art water vapour/gas separation applications, showcasing their potential for advanced humidification or dehumidification applications.