Overview
- Peer-reviewed results in Nature report a two-dimensional polyaramid (2DPA-1) that forms ultrathin films nearly impermeable to gases.
- Measured permeability is at least 1/10,000 that of other polymers across helium, argon, oxygen, methane and sulfur hexafluoride, with nitrogen undetected by lab instruments.
- The polymer self-assembles from melamine-derived monomers into disk-like units that stack via hydrogen bonds, creating tightly packed layers with no pathways for gas.
- A 60-nanometer coating protected a perovskite crystal in laboratory tests, extending its lifetime to about three weeks.
- Researchers also built a nanoscale resonator from the film and highlight potential uses in corrosion protection and packaging, while noting scalability and long-term durability still need validation.