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Open Access Research Article Just Accepted
Polymer/metal-organic framework junctions in polyamide membrane via in-situ amine etching for stable CO2/N2 selectivity at elevated pressures
Nano Research
Available online: 01 June 2026
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Polyamide thin-film composite (PA-TFC) membranes with ultrathin selective layers, fabricated via facile interfacial polymerization process, are fascinating for CO2/N2 separation. But they always suffer from drastic deterioration of CO2/N2 selectivity at elevated pressures due to CO2-induced swelling of polymer chains. Herein, we report an in-situ amine etching strategy to construct robust polyamide/PEI-functionalized ZIF-8 (PA/PEI-ZIF-8) junctions within PA-TFC membranes. In this strategy, PEI-ZIF-8 colloid is sprayed onto triethylenetetramine (TETA)-preimpregnated polysulfone substrates prior to interfacial polymerization, leading to controllable etching of PEI-ZIF-8 particles into Zn-imidazole clusters and ultra-small PEI-ZIF-8 nanocrystals. These etched species subsequently coordinate with TETA, forming highly integrated PA/PEI-ZIF-8 junctions with enhanced interfacial compatibility. Benefited by the high porosity of PEI-ZIF-8 nanocrystals and excellent interfacial compatibility, the optimized composite membrane realizes a CO2 permeance of 478 GPU and a CO2/N2 selectivity of 60.3. Notably, owing to the rigidity of PEI-ZIF-8 nanocrystals and coordination interactions between PEI-ZIF-8 and polyamide chains, the PA/PEI-ZIF-8 junctions effectively improve the anti-swelling property of composite membranes. Contrary to reduced CO2/N2 selectivity of pristine PA membrane at elevated pressures, the CO2/N2 selectivity of composite membrane remains stable as the feed gas pressure increases from 1 to 4 bar. This work provides a novel strategy for fabricating robust PA-TFC membranes for pressurized CO2 separation.

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