The present invention provides a composite body having, on a porous substrate and in the interstices of the substrate that includes fibers, preferably of an electrically nonconductive material, a porous layer (1) composed of oxide particles bonded to one another and partly to the substrate that include at least one oxide selected from oxides of the elements Al, Zr, Ti and Si, preferably selected from Al.sub.2O.sub.3, ZrO.sub.2, TiO.sub.2 and SiO.sub.2, and having, at least on one side, a further porous layer (2) including oxide particles bonded to one another and partly to layer (1) that include at least one oxide selected from oxides of the elements Al, Zr, Ti and Si, preferably selected from Al.sub.2O.sub.3, ZrO.sub.2, TiO.sub.2 and SiO.sub.2, where the oxide particles present in layer (1) have a greater median particle size than the oxide particles present in layer (2), which is characterized in that the median particle size (d.sub.50) of the oxide particles in layer (1) is from 0.5 to 4 m and the median particle size (d.sub.50) of the oxide particles in layer (2) is from 0.015 to 0.15 m, preferably 0.04 to 0.06 m, a process for producing corresponding composite bodies and for the use thereof, especially in gas separation.

There is provided a graphene-based membrane where the mechanical properties, thermal conductivity, electrical conductivity, and/or three-dimensional curvature of the membrane have been tuned according to the desired application of the membrane. Methods of accelerating the vacuum-assisted self-assembly (VASA) process for graphene-based membranes and methods for accelerating the process of removing liquid from a graphene-based dispersion are also provided. The method can include two steps of reduction to both minimize the filtration time and to substantially restore the electrical and thermal properties of a graphene-based membrane at low temperature.

A dual function composite oxygen transport membrane having a layered structure of mixed conducting oxygen transport materials on a first side of a porous substrate and a reforming catalyst layer on an opposing second side of the porous substrate. The layered structure of the mixed conducting oxygen transport materials contains an intermediate porous layer of mixed conducting oxygen transport materials formed on the porous substrate with a dense impervious layer of mixed conducting oxygen transport materials over the intermediate porous layer, and an optional surface exchange layer of mixed conducting oxygen transport materials over the dense impervious layer. The layered structure and the reforming catalyst layer are formed in separate steps.

Methods that expand the properties of laser-induced graphene (LIG) and the resulting LIG having the expanded properties. Methods of fabricating laser-induced graphene from materials, which range from natural, renewable precursors (such as cloth or paper) to high performance polymers (like Kevlar). With multiple lasing, however, highly conductive PEI-based LIG could be obtained using both multiple pass and defocus methods. The resulting laser-induced graphene can be used, inter alia, in electronic devices, as antifouling surfaces, in water treatment technology, in membranes, and in electronics on paper and food Such methods include fabrication of LIG in controlled atmospheres, such that, for example, superhydrophobic and superhydrophilic LIG surfaces can be obtained. Such methods further include fabricating laser-induced graphene by multiple lasing of carbon precursors. Such methods further include direct 3D printing of graphene materials from carbon precurors. Application of such LIG include oil/water separation, liquid or gas separations using polymer membranes, anti-icing, microsupercapacitors, supercapacitors, water splitting catalysts, sensors, and flexible electronics.

Nanofiltration of aqueous solutions or other water-based fluids in various applications, such as desalination, dialysis, seawater purification, for example, may be enhanced through precisely controlling a filtration cutoff within graphene oxide nanofilters. By initially compressing and constraining the stacked thickness of multiple graphene oxide layers deposited between porous substrates, the interlayer gap size, and thus, the filtration cutoff may be adjusted and optimized.

A dual function composite oxygen transport membrane having a layered structure of mixed conducting oxygen transport materials on a first side of a porous substrate and a reforming catalyst layer on an opposing second side of the porous substrate. The layered structure of the mixed conducting oxygen transport materials contains an intermediate porous layer of mixed conducting oxygen transport materials formed on the porous substrate with a dense impervious layer of mixed conducting oxygen transport materials over the intermediate porous layer, and an optional surface exchange layer of mixed conducting oxygen transport materials over the dense impervious layer. The layered structure and the reforming catalyst layer are formed in separate steps.

Nanofiltration of aqueous solutions or other water-based fluids in various applications, such as desalination, dialysis, seawater purification, for example, may be enhanced through precisely controlling a filtration cutoff within graphene oxide nanofilters. By initially compressing and constraining the stacked thickness of multiple graphene oxide layers deposited between porous substrates, the interlayer gap size, and thus, the filtration cutoff may be adjusted and optimized.

The invention relates to a method for preparing a hierarchical porous zeolite membrane and an application thereof, comprising the following steps: a mesoporous structure-directing agent is added to limit the growth of zeolite crystals, and self-assembled in the crystallization process to generate a mesoporous structure. Based on a seed crystal induced secondary nucleation mechanism, this method can realize one-step hydrothermal synthesis of hierarchical porous zeolite membrane with the advantages of mild and controllable synthesis conditions, simple process, good repeatability, reduced energy consumption and cost savings. The hierarchical porous zeolite membrane prepared by the method has good cut-off performance, and the cut-off molecular weight is adjustable between 200 to 500,000 Da.

Articles are described including a first microfiltration membrane layer having a first major surface and a second major surface disposed opposite the first major surface, and a first silica layer directly attached to the first major surface of the first microfiltration membrane layer. The first silica layer includes a polymeric binder and acid-sintered interconnected silica nanoparticles arranged to form a continuous three-dimensional porous network. A method of making an article is also described, including providing a first microfiltration membrane layer having a first major surface and a second major surface disposed opposite the first major surface, and forming a first silica layer on the first major surface.

Methods that expand the properties of laser-induced graphene (LIG) and the resulting LIG having the expanded properties. Methods of fabricating laser-induced graphene from materials, which range from natural, renewable precursors (such as cloth or paper) to high performance polymers (like Kevlar). With multiple lasing, however, highly conductive PEI-based LIG could be obtained using both multiple pass and defocus methods. The resulting laser-induced graphene can be used, inter alia, in electronic devices, as antifouling surfaces, in water treatment technology, in membranes, and in electronics on paper and food Such methods include fabrication of LIG in controlled atmospheres, such that, for example, superhydrophobic and superhydrophilic LIG surfaces can be obtained. Such methods further include fabricating laser-induced graphene by multiple lasing of carbon precursors. Such methods further include direct 3D printing of graphene materials from carbon precurors. Application of such LIG include oil/water separation, liquid or gas separations using polymer membranes, anti-icing, microsupercapacitors, supercapacitors, water splitting catalysts, sensors, and flexible electronics.