1.D.89. The Polymer/Graphene oxide Heterogeneous Nanoporous Membrane (PGoHM) Family
A robust three/two-dimensional polymer/graphene oxide heterogeneous nanoporous membrane has been constructed in large scale via the self-assembly approach by chemically designing a robust charge-density-tunable nanoporous ionomer with uniform pore size (Zhu et al. 2017). To obtain a nanoporous polymer that maintains high mechanical strength and promotes multifunctionality, these researchers designed a series of amphiphilic copolymers by introducing a positively charged pyridine moiety into the engineered polymer polyphenylsulfone. The multiphysical-chemical properties of the membrane enable it to work as a nanogate switch with synergy between wettability and surface charge change in response to pH. The transmembrane ionic transport properties of this two-/three-dimensional porous system were characterized. By adjusting the charge density of the copolymer via chemical copolymerization through a controlled design route, the rectifying ratio of this asymmetric membrane could be amplified 4 times. A concentration-gradient-driven energy harvesting device with this charge-density-tunable nanoporous membrane and a maximal power of approximately 0.76 W m-2 was obtained. This membrane may be useful as energy devices, biosensors, and smart gating nanofluidic devices (Zhu et al. 2017).