Charge-induced proton penetration across two-dimensional clay materials

Abstract

Two-dimensional clay materials possess superior thermal and chemical stability, and the intrinsic tubular channels in their atomic structure provide possible routes for proton penetration, therefore expected to fill the materials...

Molecular Dynamics Study on Swelling and Exfoliation Properties of Montmorillonite Nanosheets for Application as Proton Exchange Membranes

“…Isostructural substitutions in tetrahedral sheets (Si 4+ by Al 3+ ) and octahedral sheets (Al 3+ by Mg 2+ ) make the MMT sheets negatively charged. , A large number of metal cations such as Na + , K + , and Ca 2+ are intercalated between the MMT layers to maintain the charge neutrality, which endow the MMT with great properties of cation exchange, adsorption, and swell ability. − Due to the weak van der Waals and electrostatic forces between layers, MMT can be exfoliated into two-dimensional (2D) nanosheets by mechanical exfoliation such as ultrasonic and ball milling. , Due to the superior water absorption and thermal, chemical, and mechanical stability of MMT, many studies have been carried out to add MMT nanosheets to the proton-conductive polymer matrix to improve the thermal and mechanical stability, − alcohol resistance − and water retention of the PEM while maintaining good proton conductivity. Moreover, the thin film formed by the re-stacking of the exfoliated 2D nanosheets has been demonstrated to show an excellent proton conductivity in a wide temperature range. − Therefore, MMT provides a new choice for the design of PEMs.…”

Percolative proton transport in hexagonal boron nitride membranes with edge-functionalization

“…15,16 Proton permeation across 2D materials has attracted a lot of interest. [17][18][19][20] The understanding of the proton transport processes through h-BN sheets is also helpful for energy applications. 21 Protons can traverse through the central pores of a defect-free monolayer h-BN sheet.…”