This invention relates thin film nanocomposites (TFNCs) and methods of preparing the same by molecular layer-by-layer assembly. The TFNCs comprise a porous nanofibrous support first layer coated with a mid-layer having an outer separating layer, wherein the out separating layer has one or more bilayers or trilayers. The TFNCs can be particularly suitable for use as filtration membranes for the separation of dissolved components from fluids such as ultrafiltration, nanofiltration, and reverse osmosis. Thus, embodiments of the invention also include filtration systems and methods of filtering.

A spunbonded nonwoven fabric has a smooth surface, is highly unlikely to cause a widthwise curl due to a difference between the states of front and back surfaces, has a superior membrane formability of not allowing, at the time of casting of a resin solution, a bleed-through of the resin solution due to excessive permeation, a peel-off of a membrane substance, or any other defect such as nonuniform membrane or pin hole due to fluffing of the support, and further exhibits membrane bondability that is strong enough to prevent the membrane substance from peeling off after membrane formation.

Provided are filter media for liquid filters and a method of manufacturing the same, in which a thin filter layer is formed and the content of nanofibers weighs light, by laminating a low weight nanofiber web on a porous nonwoven fabric, and thus a less differential pressure is applied before and after filtering, to thereby increase a pass flow rate. The filter medium includes: a porous support that plays a strength support role; and a nanofiber web that is laminated on one side of the porous support and is made of nanofibers of a polymer material, in which the nanofiber web comprises fine pores of a three-dimensional structure, through which a liquid to be treated passes, wherein content of the nanofibers is less than 5 gsm.

A filter medium is provided. A filter medium according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises: a fiber web layer of a three-dimensional network structure including nanofiber; and a hydrophilic coating layer which covers at least a part of the outer surface of the nanofiber. According to this, a flow rate can be remarkably increased due to the improved hydrophilicity of the filter medium. Also, as the improved hydrophilicity is maintained for a long period of time, the lifespan can be remarkably prolonged. Furthermore, since the modification of a porous structure of the filter medium is minimized during the process of hydrophilization so that the initially designed physical properties of the filter medium can be exhibited in its entirety, the filter medium having chemical resistance, excellent water permeability and durability can be variously applied in the water treatment field.

A hand-carry gravity-driven water filter with high throughput and water disinfection performance is formed. Membranes used for this water filter can be fabricated using electrospun method and non-solvent induced phase inversion method. A novel composite membrane structure (interwoven composite structure) was designed for further enhances water permeability and mechanical strength. The composite membrane can be composed of nanofibers with different diameter from the same polymer or different polymers. Membrane porosity and surface pore size can be controlled. Silver nanoparticles can be in-situ loaded on the surface of the membranes. The developed filter is effective for removal of a wide range of contaminants (e.g., pathogens, suspended solids and heavy metals). The purification process can be carried out under the drive of gravity (with an option for mechanically-enhanced filtration) without electricity.

Described herein are mixed matrix filtration membranes and related, dendrimers, dendrimer particles, compositions, methods and systems and in particular mixed matrix filtration membranes with an embedded dendrimer particles and related compositions, methods, and systems wherein each dendrimer particle comprises at least two dendrimers each having at least two core chemical moieties having a core multiplicity Nc; branch cell units attached to the core chemical moiety or one to another, with the branch cell units attached one to another having a branch cells multiplicity Nb; and a number of surface functional groups Z presented on terminal branch cell units, wherein Z=NcNb.sup.G with G?3.

A method for controlling fiber cross-alignment in a nanofiber membrane, comprising: providing a multiple segment collector in an electrospinning device including a first and second segment electrically isolated from an intermediate segment positioned between the first and second segment, collectively presenting a cylindrical structure, rotating the cylindrical structure around a longitudinal axis proximate to an electrically charged fiber emitter; electrically grounding or charging edge conductors circumferentially resident on the first and second segment, maintaining intermediate collector electrically neutral; dispensing electrospun fiber toward the collector, the fiber attaching to edge conductors and spanning the separation space between edge conductors; attracting electrospun fiber attached to the edge conductors to the surface of the cylindrical structure, forming a first fiber layer; increasing or decreasing rotation speed of the cylindrical structure to alter the angular cross-alignment relationship between aligned nanofibers in adjacent layers, the rotation speed being altered to achieve a target relational angle.

A composition having the structure of formula I:
[RAr(COOH).sub.2].sub.x[Ar(COOH).sub.3].sub.2-xM.sub.3.sup.2+(I)
is provided where M is Mn, Cu, Co, Fe, Zn, Cd, Ni, or Pt; R is a bromine, nitro, a primary amine, C.sub.1-C.sub.4 alkyl secondary amine, C.sub.1-C.sub.4 alkyl oxy, Br(C.sub.1-C.sub.4 alkyl), NO.sub.2(C.sub.1-C.sub.4 alkyl), a mercaptan, and reaction products of any of the aforementioned with acyl chlorides of the formulas: CH.sub.3(CH.sub.2).sub.mC(O)Cl, or CH.sub.3(CH(C.sub.1-C.sub.4 alkyl)CH.sub.2).sub.mC(O)Cl, or CH.sub.3(CH.sub.2).sub.m-Ph-(CH.sub.2).sub.pC(O)Cl, where Ph is a C.sub.6 phenyl or C.sub.6 phenyl with one or more hydrogens replaced with F, C.sub.1-C.sub.4 fluoroalkyl, or C.sub.1-C.sub.4 perfluoroalkyl; m is independently in each occurrence an integer of 0 to 12 inclusive; p is an integer of 0 to 36 inclusive, to form an amide, a thioamide, or an ester; Ar is a 1,3,5-modified phenyl, and 1.4>x>0. A process of synthesis thereof and the use to chemically modify a gaseous reactant are also provided.

Provided are a micro-needle patch and a manufacturing method thereof. The micro-needle patch includes: a support on one surface of which grooves are formed; a gel membrane for delivery of a transmitter to be transferred in which the grooves are filled with a mixture of the transmitter with a biodradable resin, the mixture being in a gel phase; a plurality of micro-needles projected on the other surface of the support and for penetrating the skin; a first protective film that covers the gel membrane and is adhered on the support; and a second protective film that covers the plurality of micro-needles and is adhered on the other surface, wherein passages are formed by being penetrated from the support to each of the plurality of micro-needles or formed by penetrating the support between the plurality of micro-needles, so that the transmitter of the gel membrane is transferred to the skin.

A water treatment system comprises at least one electrolytic cell comprising at least one electrode and a power source for powering the electrode. The electrode may be a metal electrode comprising a coating of polymer comprising structural units of formula I (I) wherein R.sup.1 is independently at each occurrence a C.sub.1-C.sub.6 alkyl radical or SO.sub.3M wherein M is independently at each occurrence a hydrogen or an alkali metal a hydrogen or an alkali metal, R.sup.2 is independently at each occurrence a C.sub.1-C.sub.6 alkyl radical, a is independently at each occurrence an integer ranging from 0 to 4, and b is independently at each occurrence an integer ranging from 0 to 3. An associated method is also described. ##STR00001##