This paper reports on a chemically robust 2D carbon nitride membrane activated using aluminum polycations as pillars to modulate interlayer spacing. This creates a well-interlinked lamellar structure that exhibits excellent swelling resistance, achieving high salt rejection (>99.5%) and water flux (6 L m² h⁻¹) in forward osmosis. The membrane's tunable permeation behavior enables water gating in acidic and alkaline environments, positioning carbon nitride as a promising building block for water desalination and purification membranes.

Yang Wang, Tingting Lian, Nadezda V. Tarakina, Jiayin Yuan, Markus Antonietti