Karl-Philipp Schlichting

Membranes are indispensable in a wide range of industries and products – such as drinking water supply, medical technology, petrochemistry and sportswear. However, the membrane technologies now on the market must strike a balance between permeability and selectivity, so they are often inefficient, and this makes them costly. To solve this problem, Karl-Philipp Schlichting is developing nanoporous graphene membranes. These transport liquids and gases better and are mechanically, thermally and chemically stable, which makes for a far more efficient separation process. This is particularly expedient for water purification and gas separation (e.g. CO₂ separation in combustion engines) and for medical applications and breathable, waterproof fabrics.