Graphene membrane with regular angstrom-scale pores

A method to form a plurality of discrete pores in a graphene monolayer, comprising:

• contacting a compound represented by R-Het* to a plurality of locations at the graphene monolayer, wherein:
• Het* is nitrene or activated oxy;
• R is one of —Ra, —SO2Ra, —(CO)ORa, or —SiRaRbRc;
• and
• Ra, Rb, and Rc are independently aryl or heteroaryl;
• providing a separation distance of at least rR between adjacent locations in the plurality of locations, wherein rR is a minimum steric radius of R;
• reacting the compound represented by R-Het* with at least one graphene carbon atom Cg at each of the plurality of locations to form a plurality p of heteroatom-carbon moieties at the graphene monolayer to modify the graphene monolayer, wherein the modified graphene monolayer is represented by [R-Het-Cg]pgraphene;
• and
• forming a plurality of discrete pores in the graphene monolayer by removing the plurality p of heteroatom-carbon moieties represented by R-Het-Cg, wherein the plurality of discrete pores is characterized by a plurality of carbon vacancy defects in the graphene monolayer defined by removing the at least one graphene carbon atomCg from the plurality of locations such that the graphene monolayer has substantially uniform pore sizes throughout.

A method to separate a compound from a fluid mixture, comprising:

• providing a fluid mixture that contains a first compound and a second compound;
• providing a membrane that includes a graphene monolayer that is chemically perforated by a plurality of discrete pores, wherein:
• each of the plurality of discrete pores is characterized by one or more carbon vacancy defects such that the graphene monolayer has substantially uniform pore sizes throughout, and
• each of the plurality of discrete pores is characterized by a diameter that is selective for passage of the first compound compared to the second compound;
• contacting the fluid mixture to a first surface of the graphene monolayer;
• and
• directing the first compound through the plurality of discrete pores to separate the first compound from the second compound.

A system to prepare a graphene membrane with substantially uniform pores, the system comprising:

• a reagent activator configured to prepare an activated reagent from a precursor compound;
• a reagent applicator configured to contact the activated reagent to a plurality of locations at a graphene monolayer;
• a reaction chamber configured to hold the graphene monolayer;
• a heater configured to thermally cleave a plurality of heteroatom-carbon moieties at the graphene monolayer to form a perforated graphene monolayer;
• and
• a support substrate applicator configured to contact the perforated graphene monolayer to a support substrate.