Tsinghua University Team Publishes Breakthrough CB[7] Supramolecular Nanopore Anion-Conducting Membrane in Nature

Professors Wang Baoguo and Associate Professor Liu Kai of Tsinghua University, along with their research team, have published groundbreaking findings in the academic journal Nature. The team developed supramolecular nanoporous anion-conducting membranes based on cucurbit[7]uril (CB[7]). This material overcomes a century-old bottleneck in traditional ion-exchange membranes: the inability to simultaneously achieve high ionic conductivity, robust mechanical stability, and strong alkali resistance. The innovation paves the way for new industrial applications in noble-metal-free alkaline water electrolysis, electrochemical CO2 reduction, and fuel cells.

Research subject: Cucurbit[7]uril (abbreviated as Q[7] or CB[7])

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Moving beyond conventional approaches that modify polymer backbones or create pores through covalent frameworks, this work leverages cation-dipole host-guest interactions between macrocyclic cucurbit[7]uril (CB[7]) and quaternized polypiperidine terphenyl (QPPT) to self-assemble uniform, dynamic nanochannels. This strategy overcomes the inherent trade-off between mechanical strength and porosity in traditional microporous membranes and is universally applicable across a wide range of aromatic anion-conducting polymer backbones.

Cucurbituril-Based Anion-Conducting Membranes with Supramolecular Nanopores

Xu, Z.; Lin, D.; Yin, H.; Feng, Q.; Foglia, F.; Zhen, Y.; Morris, A.; Berrod, Q.; Pang, M.; Huang, L.; Liu, J.; Tian, J.; Wang, X.; Yang, C.; Tang, X.; Zhang, X.; Wang, B.; Wang, H.; Liu, K. Nature 2026, 654 (8120), 948–954. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-026-10666-6.