Check out our new article on the stereoregular self-assembly of biobased recyclable polymer membranes for enantioselective nanofiltration. The article was featured in Matter, a Cell Press journal. We engineered a solely biobased, recyclable polyester featuring two inherent stereogenic centers. 🌱 Congrats to all the contributors in my team, namely Diana, Rifan and Hakkim, as well as our collaborators from the teams of Prof. Eugene Y.-X. Chen (Colorado State University) and Prof. Udo Schwingenschlogl (KAUST)!
The stereoregular self-assembly of the polymers yielded high-performance polyester membranes that adopt a tightly packed, extended molecular conformation. These dual-function chiral membranes enable enantioselective and controllable nanofiltration performance without the need for any added chiral selectors. Due to their denser packing and higher crystallinity, the membranes demonstrated superior thermal, mechanical, and chemical stability under harsh environments.
The membranes were successfully used to separate racemic mixtures, addressing a crucial challenge in the production of pure pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals. 💉 Furthermore, the complete recyclability of the polymer offers a highly sustainable design route for chiral separations, significantly reducing the environmental impact of chemical manufacturing., and they removed impurities below the threshold level of toxicological concern. The biodegradability of the membranes enable an environmentally friendly end-of-life treatment. ♻️
Here is the Matter front cover 🎨 for the article:
Image credit: Hassan Tahini @KAUST
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