Construction of Micropore Membranes for Efficient Separation of Chiral Pesticides Based on Layer-by-Layer Technology

Chiral pesticide enantiomers play an important role in regulating plant growth due to their different physiology, pharmacology, and toxicity. However, efficient separation of chiral pesticides remains a global challenge. Ibuprofen (IBU), a chiral compound that has an important influence on the growth of plants, was chosen as a model molecule of plant growth regulator. Herein, in this work, l-Trp-l-Ala-P6 was chosen as a chiral ligand, and STI-NH2 was chosen as a guest molecule. We designed and fabricated chiral micropore membranes with both high selectivity and high flux effects using the layer-by-layer (LBL) self-assembly method, which achieved the selective separation of R-IBU from the racemic IBU accompanied by high flux and high selectivity. Meanwhile, the effects of separated R-IBU and S-IBU on the growth of wheat seedlings were studied. The results showed that after separation by the LBL-assembled chiral micropore-4, R-IBU exhibited a more effective activity in promoting the growth of wheat seedlings. This LBL-assembled chiral micropore membrane may have potential application in the separation of chiral pesticides in the future.