Interface synthesis of flexible benzimidazole-linked polymer molecular-sieving membranes with superior antimicrobial activity

Benzimidazole-linked polymers (BILPs) are a type of porous organic frameworks (POFs) that possess high microporosity, exceptional thermal and chemical stabilities. Uniform growth of BILP-101x layer (∼95 nm) directly on the hydrolyzed polyacrylonitrile (HPAN) substrate can be realized within 30 min. The microstructure and separation capability of BILPs membranes were feasibly regulated by the precise control of synthetic parameters. Molecular simulations were performed to reveal the inner structure and molecular transportation behavior of the BILPs membranes. The optimized composite membrane exhibits ultra-high water permeance (∼255 L m−2 h−1 bar−1) with extraordinarily high dye/divalent salt selectivity, e.g., Congo red (696.7 Da), Direct red 23 (814 Da) > 99.0%, Na2SO4