Our CTO Publishes New Paper in Advanced Functional Materials on Carbon Membranes for Hydrogen Separation

We are proud to share that our CTO has co-authored a new scientific paper published in Advanced Functional Materials, titled “Facile Preparation of Carbon Membranes Derived from a Fluorenyl-Containing Polyimine for Selective Hydrogen Separation.”

The work introduces a new fluorenyl-containing polyimine as an accessible, tunable, and low-cost precursor platform for the fabrication of high-performance carbon membranes for selective hydrogen separation. The polymer is synthesized through a facile, catalyst-free condensation route using readily available monomers and shows excellent thermal stability, high char yield, and an intrinsically kinked molecular structure that promotes free volume.

By tuning the carbonization protocol, the researchers were able to control the development of micro- and ultramicroporosity in the carbon membranes. This enables transport behavior governed by selective adsorption, surface diffusion, and molecular sieving, offering promising performance for hydrogen separation applications.

A special recognition goes to Clara Coiana, the PhD researcher who prepared the membranes using materials produced in the group of Prof. Zeljko Tomovic. The work was carried out at Eindhoven University of Technology, with the support of EIRES – Eindhoven Institute for Renewable Energy Systems, and within the framework of the CATART Project Pathfinder.

These results represent an important step forward for the further development and commercialization of the membranes produced by ZEFIRA. Building on this achievement, ZEFIRA and Prof. Zeljko Tomovic are already looking ahead through a follow-up project proposal that has recently been submitted.

Congratulations to Clara Coiana, our CTO, Prof. Zeljko Tomovic, and all the researchers and partners involved in this excellent work.