A dual-layer membrane and a method for preparing thereof. By adding a modifying monomer containing an active group and a characteristic group to a dope solution or spinning solution during the preparation of the dual-layer membrane, the grafting reaction occurs between the active group of the monomer and the polymer in the dope solution or spinning solution, and the intermolecular interaction with other polymers is enhanced by the characteristic group of the monomer, to improve the miscibility between the polymers. The method is suitable for preparing both a dual-layer flat sheet membrane and a dual-layer hollow fiber membrane, and can realize the preparation of a dual-layer membrane with an interpenetrated structure at the interface under mild preparation conditions.

A method for producing a gas separation membrane, including the following steps: step (a): treating the surfaces of silica nanoparticles dispersed in a first solvent with a reactive functional group-containing compound, while nanoparticles are being dispersed in the solvent, to thereby prepare a first solvent dispersion of reactive functional group-modified silica nanoparticles; step (b): replacing the first solvent dispersion's dispersion medium of reactive functional group-modified silica nanoparticles prepared in step (a) with a second solvent without drying of dispersion medium, and then reacting functional group-modified silica nanoparticles with dendrimer-forming monomer or hyperbranched polymer-forming monomer in the second solvent's presence so that dendrimer or hyperbranched polymer is added to reactive functional group, to thereby prepare dendrimer- or hyperbranched polymer-bound silica nanoparticles; step (c): mixing dendrimer- or hyperbranched polymer-bound silica nanoparticles prepared in step (b) with a matrix resin; and step (d): applying mixture prepared in step (c) to a substrate, and then removing the solvent.

A gas separation membrane containing a matrix resin and hyperbranched polymer- or dendrimer-bound, heteromorphous shaped silica nanoparticles, which are formed of heteromorphous shaped silica nanoparticles having surfaces onto which a hyperbranched polymer or a dendrimer is chemically added.

A photothermal distillation membrane comprising a tridecafluoro-1,1,2,2-tetrahydrooctyl-trichlorosilane (FTCS) fluoro-silanized, polydopamine (PDA) coated, polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membrane is disclosed, as well as a process for synthesizing a FTCS-PDA-PVDF membrane. A tridecafluoro-1,1,2,2-tetrahydrooctyl-trichlorosilane (FTCS) fluoro-silanized, polydopamine (PDA) containing bacterial nanocellulose (BNC) aerogel membrane is also disclosed, as well as a process for synthesizing a FTCS-PDA/BNC aerogel membrane.

Described is a polyethylene membrane and in particular an ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene member that provides a high air permeability and is hydrophobic. The membranes have small pores and are suitable for sterilization by exposure to gamma radiation. The membranes can be made by methods that involve one or more of stretching the membrane and grafting hydrophobic monomers onto the membrane surface. A perfluorinated monomer, such as perfluoro-n-octyl acrylate, can be grafted to one or more surfaces of the membrane. The membrane have a high flow rate compared to unstretched or ungrafted membranes.

An ordered functional nanoporous material (OFMN) composition includes a pore defined by a sidewall, the sidewall comprising NCN linkages therein. A process for synthesis of a reagent includes the reaction of a 6,7-diaminoquinoxaline having R groups with hexaketocyclohexane (HKH) octahydrate, where R is independently in each occurrence H, Cl, Br, I, C.sub.4H.sub.4S (thiophenyl), SO.sub.3.sup., CO.sub.2.sup., CCH, CHCH.sub.2, NH.sub.2, OH, CN, C.sub.1-C.sub.4 alkyl, (CH.sub.2).sub.xCHCH.sub.2, or (CH.sub.2).sub.yCHCH(CH.sub.2).sub.z where x or (y+z) is an integer of 0 to 4 inclusive, (CH.sub.2).sub.jCHCH, or (CH.sub.2).sub.kCHC(CH.sub.2).sub.r where j or (k+r) 0 to 4 inclusive. A process of degasification that includes extracting a gas from a mixture by exposing the mixture to an OFNM to selectively pass the gas therethrough. A process of dehydrogenation includes exposing an aliphatically unsaturated feedstock to platinum modified OFNM under conditions to form hydrogen and selectively passing the hydrogen through the platinum modified OFNM.

A polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) casting membrane solution is shaped as a flat sheet membrane by thermally induced phase separation (TIPS), the PVDF membrane is defluorinated with an alkaline potassium permanganate solution, and then the carbon chain is extended with glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) as the graft monomer, and finally the nucleophilic substitution is carried out between melamine and GMA to produce a chelating microfiltration membrane for capturing and enriching heavy metals with high flux and high capacity.

This specification describes methods of functionalizing the surface of a solid polymer, for example with an anti-fouling or thermo-responsive compound such as PNIPAAm. The polymer may inherently comprise a halide, as in for example polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) or polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). Alternatively, the polymer may be surface treated to include a halide. In some examples, polysulfone (PS) or polyethersulfone (PES) are surface initiated to comprise a halide by lithiation or acylation. The halide-containing polymer is then functionalized, for example with PNIPAAm by way of atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP), which may be activator regenerated by electron transfer (ARGET) ATRP. The polymer may be in the form of a membrane, for example a microfiltration or ultrafiltration membrane containing the polymer alone or blended with one or more other polymers. In some examples membranes comprising PS, PES, PVDF or PTFE functionalized with PNIPAAm.

Articles with covalently attached thiocarbonylthio-containing groups are provided. More specifically, the articles include a solid polymeric substrate with a plurality of thiocarbonylthio-containing groups covalently attached directly to a carbon atom in a polymeric backbone of the solid polymeric substrate. Methods of making the articles with covalently attached thiocarbonylthio-containing are provided. Additionally, methods of using these articles to generate further articles with covalently attached polymeric chains are provided.

The present invention relates to synthetic membranes and use of these synthetic membranes for isolation of volatile organic compounds and purification of water. The synthetic membrane includes a hydrophobic polymer layer located on a polymeric membrane support layer. The invention includes a method of isolating volatile organic compounds with the synthetic membrane by contacting a volatile organic mixture with the hydrophobic polymer layer of the synthetic membrane and removing volatile organic compounds from the polymeric membrane support layer of the synthetic membrane by a process of pervaporation. The invention also includes a method of purifying water with the synthetic membrane by contacting an ionic solution with the hydrophobic polymer layer of the synthetic membrane and removing water from the polymeric membrane support layer of the synthetic membrane by a process of reverse osmosis. The invention also relates to methods of isolating non-polar gases by gas fractionation.