Advances in carbon nanomembranes for separation: from free-standing films to composite structures

This work reviews the development and application potential of carbon nanomembranes (CNMs) especially for separation purposes, starting from self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) as a representative pre-stage of CNMs to their evolution into composite membranes. SAMs form spontaneously on surfaces through intrinsic chemical functionalities, providing the basis for advanced 2-dimensional materials. The transition from SAMs to CNMs involves electron irradiation-induced crosslinking, producing robust, free-standing molecular thin sheets with high resistance to wet etching and customizable functionalities. To enhance mechanical robustness, ease of handling, and scalability, CNM-composite membranes are fabricated by combining CNMs directly with porous support materials like track-etched polyethylene terephthalate (TE-PET) paving the way for future industrial applications.