POS4-0594
Nanoconfined Polyurea Membrane Reactors with PEG-Engineered Pore Interfaces for Chemoenzymatic Cascade Catalysis
Topic
S4. Colloids, Interfaces, and Molecular Assemblies for Functional Soft Materials
When and Where
Sep 29, 2026
08:30 - 09:30
Room 301 (Grand Ballroom)
Session Chairs
Hae Jung SON
Boseok KANG
Presenter(s)
Elsayed Mostafa (GIST)
Co-Author(s)
Abstract
Interfacial control inside porous polymer networks is a key strategy for converting soft materials into functional catalytic platforms. Here, nanoconfined polyurea membranes are designed to regulate the local pore-surface microenvironment during continuous flow reactions. The membranes are fabricated from tetrakis(4-aminophenyl)methane (TAPM) and hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI), using poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) as a reactive porogen. PEG partially reacts with residual isocyanate groups during network formation, while nanoscale phase separation during membrane casting generates PEG-rich domains within the polyurea matrix. Partial extraction of these domains produces three-dimensionally interconnected mesopores in the free-standing membrane, while the remaining PEG decorates the inner pore surface, improving metal loading and enzyme immobilization.
Within the nanoconfined pores, metal nanoparticles and enzymes are immobilized as spatially confined catalytic centers. A Pd-loaded membrane is used for the cycloisomerization of 4-pentynoic acid under mildly basic conditions, while a CalB-immobilized membrane is applied to the kinetic resolution of secondary alcohols using the cyclic lactone formed in the first step. By stacking Pd@NCF-PEG and CalB@NCF-PEG membranes in series inside a dead-end filtration cell, the system is designed to perform a chemoenzymatic cascade reaction under continuous flow conditions.
This work demonstrates a soft-material approach to catalytic membrane design, in which interfacial engineering and nanoconfinement are combined to create functional flow-through reactors for continuous transformations. The catalytic performance is evaluated in both batch and flow modes, with particular attention to the effects of solvent, temperature, and substrate concentration.
Within the nanoconfined pores, metal nanoparticles and enzymes are immobilized as spatially confined catalytic centers. A Pd-loaded membrane is used for the cycloisomerization of 4-pentynoic acid under mildly basic conditions, while a CalB-immobilized membrane is applied to the kinetic resolution of secondary alcohols using the cyclic lactone formed in the first step. By stacking Pd@NCF-PEG and CalB@NCF-PEG membranes in series inside a dead-end filtration cell, the system is designed to perform a chemoenzymatic cascade reaction under continuous flow conditions.
This work demonstrates a soft-material approach to catalytic membrane design, in which interfacial engineering and nanoconfinement are combined to create functional flow-through reactors for continuous transformations. The catalytic performance is evaluated in both batch and flow modes, with particular attention to the effects of solvent, temperature, and substrate concentration.
