Rigid Polymer Membranes for Crude Oil Fractionation

Compared with conventional thermal distillation, fractionation of crude oils with membranes presents a transformative energy-saving alternative. Developing robust membranes with structural and operational stability is crucial for advancing this transformation. We design a scalable fabrication of conjugated nanomembranes through the confinement of an alkaline microenvironment on porous polymer substrates. The fabricated nanomembranes possess rigid three-dimensional frameworks, uniform subnanopores, and ultrathin thickness, ensuring consistent selectivity across various organic mixtures along with high permeance, outperforming other state-of-the-art membranes. The high performance of these nanomembranes make them promise for fast and reliable crude oil fractionation.