Citation: Ya Lu, Chao Jia, Shu-Yan Jiang, Qiao-Yan Qi, Jin Yao, Xin Zhao. Heterostructured Janus covalent organic framework membranes via multiphase interfacial polymerization for unidirectional water transport and nanofiltration[J]. Chinese Chemical Letters, ;2026, 37(10): 112307. doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2025.112307 shu

Heterostructured Janus covalent organic framework membranes via multiphase interfacial polymerization for unidirectional water transport and nanofiltration

Ya Lu ^{a, b} ,
Chao Jia ^a ,
Shu-Yan Jiang ^a ,
Qiao-Yan Qi ^a ,
Jin Yao ^{a, c, *,} ,
Xin Zhao ^{a, *,}

a.
State Key Laboratory of Organometallic Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China
b.
College of Chemistry and Material Science, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai 200234, China
c.
School of Chemistry and Materials Science, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou 310024, China

yaojin@ucas.ac.cn

xzhao@sioc.ac.cn

Received Date: 9 September 2025
Revised Date: 10 December 2025
Accepted Date: 21 December 2025
Available Online: 23 December 2025

Figures(6)

Herein, a multiphase interfacial polymerization strategy has been developed to controllably fabricate A-to-B type Janus covalent organic framework (COF) membranes with asymmetric properties. This approach allows one-pot construction of heterostructured COF membranes with opposite wettability on the upper and lower surfaces via integrating simultaneous but independent interfacial polymerizations at two interfaces of a three-phase system. Being integrated two distinct two-dimensional COF layers with the same frame structure but differing in side chains, the Janus COF membranes exhibits hydrophilic feature on one side but displays hydrophobic characteristic on the other side. Additionally, the Janus COF membranes exhibit exceptional anti-pollution performance and exclusively permits unidirectional water transport. Notably, this unique property is non-designable in the homogeneous COF membranes fabricated from the same building blocks via the conventional two-phase interfacial polymerization method. The Janus membranes were further demonstrated to be a good candidate for membrane desalination with a high rejection for MgSO₄. This novel multiphase interfacial polymerization strategy offers a general way to fabricate Janus membranes with designable, predictable, and controllable asymmetric properties from a wide range of materials, holding great potential for diverse applications.
- Multiphase interfacial polymerization,
- Covalent organic framework,
- Janus membrane,
- Asymmetric wettability,
- Unidirectional water transport
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