Amorphous Ti-MOF membrane for selective molecular sieving

Amorphous metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) present significant potential for achieving high permeability and selectivity in separation applications. However, developing effective fabrication strategies for amorphous MOF membranes with well-defined channels remains a considerable challenge. In this study, amorphous titanium-based MOF membranes with concurrently optimized intercrystalline and intracrystalline selective transport channels were successfully prepared. The resulting membranes exhibited exceptional sieving performance for dyes with molecular weight cutoff of 600 Da. Additionally, defect-rich dual water channels within and between the amorphous MOF aggregates led to a remarkable water permeances up to 107.4 L m −2  h −1  bar −1 , significantly surpassing the benchmarks set by other nanofiltration membranes. This work offers valuable insights into the influence of amorphization on the design of a wide variety of MOF membranes, paving the way for advanced separation applications.