Insights into pore engineering of covalent organic framework membranes for small molecule separation

Abstract

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) have garnered significant attention as promising membrane materials due to their well-defined pore structures and exceptional stability. Notably, COF membranes exhibit remarkable structural tunability, enabling diverse pore engineering strategies to further optimize their pore architecture and functionality. These advancements enhance the separation efficiency of pollutants and improve the performance of COF membranes in water treatment applications. This critical review focuses on the inherent challenges and potential obstacles in pore engineering of COF membranes, the progress in separating small organic molecules and inorganic salts through pore-engineered COF membranes, and the common issues prevalent in current COF membranes. Furthermore, it provides a forward-looking perspective on the in-depth development of pore engineering, the establishment of structure–property relationships, and the practical challenges associated with the application of COF membranes.