Molecular Grid Membranes

Abstract : Regular two-dimensional covalent grids of monolayer thickness with molecular-size openings, reminiscent of a tennis net or chickenwire, will have many useful applications, among others as selective barrier materials and efficient passive or active separation membranes. We propose to synthesize a grid whose basic unit is Zn(II) porphyrin triply linked in the meso-meso, and both beta-beta positions four times by carbon-carbon bonds to each of its neighbors to form porphite sheets a grid-type material that would be an analog of graphene. The resulting grid would be conducting, have an electronic band structure and well-defined pores. We report the development of protocols for the meso-meso linking of Zn(II) porphyrin at the air-water interface using Langmuir-Blodgett methods with a resulting polymer net whose MW weight exceeds 10,000 daltons and methods for assaying the extent of the interfacial polymerization. Towards the goal of full synthesis of porphite, we report the meso-meso linking of Zn(II) porphyrin at the air-water interface using Langmuir-Blodgett methods with a resulting polymer net whose MW exceeds 10,000 daltons.