Two-dimensional material-polymer hybrid membranes for enhanced mechanical stability and environmental remediation

TL;DR

This paper reviews how combining two-dimensional materials with polymers improves membrane strength and helps clean up the environment.

Contribution

The paper provides new insights into the use of 2DMs to enhance mechanical and environmental properties of polymeric membranes.

Findings

2DMs improve mechanical robustness and long-term stability of polymeric membranes.

Hybrid membranes show enhanced selectivity, permeability, and anti-fouling properties.

2DMs-polymer hybrids address challenges in environmental remediation applications.

Abstract

Two-dimensional materials (2DMs) have attracted substantial attention due to their exceptional thermal, tensile, chemical, and mechanical properties, making them promising candidates for designing next-generation polymeric membranes. Incorporating 2DMs with polymers not only improved selectivity and permeability but also considerably enhanced mechanical robustness, thereby improving long-term stability and durability, which are among the greatest challenges today. This review article provides new insights into advancements in 2DMs and 2DMs-based polymeric membranes, with particular emphasis on mechanical strength and their roles in environmental remediation. We also discussed how different 2DMs interact with polymers to address issues such as anti-fouling, stability, and durability in polymeric membranes. Additionally, we explore the challenges associated with polymeric membranes and how we can overcome them by using different 2DMs to develop a multifunctional 2DMs-polymer hybrid membrane that bridges mechanics with environmental remediation applications.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s11671-026-04492-y.

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