Defect makes perfect

Abstract

In a recent work published in Nature Water, Dr. Yingchao Dong and coworkers report a smart method of engineering a UiO-66-based membrane with missing linker defects, resulting in an enhanced desalination performance with higher water flux but similar ion separation. This is opposite to conventional wisdom that defects usually degrade selectivity in separation. Microscopic characterizations show that the missing linker strategy can enlarge the Angström-scale pores within the membrane and the pore size exactly corresponds to an optimum where water can pass comfortably while ions cannot. A more systematic study of the defect density and pore chemistry is needed to unleash the full potential of this defective membrane.