The present invention relates to a method for producing a composite membrane, the method comprising impregnating a surface of a porous membrane substrate with an aqueous suspension comprising a mixture of at least one polyamine and at least one hospholipid; and contacting the impregnated surface with an organic phase containing a monomer to thereby deposit a polyamide layer on the impregnated surface. The present invention also relates to a composite membrane comprising at least one porous membrane substrate having nano-sized or micro-sized pores; and at least a polyamide layer disposed on a surface of the porous membrane substrate, the polyamide layer comprising at least one phospholipid dispersed therein, and wherein the polyamide layer is an interfacial polymerization product.

Provided herein are in situ methods for fabricating a mixed-matrix membrane or a mixed-matrix hollow fiber membrane for increasing formation of zeolitic imidazolate framework nanoparticles inside the mixed-matrix membrane. Generally, in the method a polyimide polymer coated onto at least one support is hydrolzed with a base and the poly(amic acid)-salt film formed thereby undergoes ion exchange with a metal ion, treatment of the formed poly(amic acid)-metal salt film with an organic linker to produce metal-organic framework nanoparticles in situ, and imidization of the treated poly(amic acid)-metal salt film produces a polyimide/metal-organic framework mixed-matrix membrane or a mixed-matrix hollow fiber membrane module. Also provided is the mixed-matrix membrane and the polymer mixed-matrix hollow fiber membrane module fabricated by the methods and methods for separating a binary gas mixture via the fabricated mixed-matrix membrane.

A composite reverse osmosis membrane having a semipermeable bilayer polyamide composition comprising a base layer containing a rigid crosslinked aromatic polyamide and a top layer containing a flexible aliphatic polyamide is disclosed, the two layers in combination providing reduced salt passage in reverse osmosis desalination of brackish waters and of seawater.

Disclosed herein are hybrid membranes comprising: a microporous polymer, the microporous polymer comprising a continuous polymer phase permeated by a continuous pore phase; and an atomic scale inorganic material dispersed throughout the microporous polymer within the continuous pore phase. Methods of making and use of the hybrid membranes are also disclosed.

The present invention relates to a CO.sub.2 selective gas separation membrane and a method for preparing the gas separation membrane and the use thereof. The CO.sub.2 selective gas separation membrane comprises a gas permeable or porous support layer; and at least one gas permeable polymer layer, which is surface modified with polymer chains having CO.sub.2 philic groups, wherein the gas permeable polymer layer has a spatially controlled distribution of the CO.sub.2 philic groups on the surface thereof. The method of preparing the CO.sub.2 selective gas separation membrane, comprises the steps of: depositing at least one gas permeable polymer layer on a porous or gas permeable support layer to form a dense membrane, and surface modifying the dense membrane with polymer chains having CO.sub.2 philic groups, to obtain spatially controlled distribution of the CO.sub.2 philic groups on the surface thereof.

The present invention relates to a method for producing a polyelectrolyte complex (PEC) membrane having a predetermined porosity via salt dilution induced phase separation, in which a liquid polymer solution (P) containing polyanions (A) and polycations (C) dissolved in an aqueous medium at an overcritical salt concentration is exposed to an aqueous medium.

A method for preparing a high-selectivity lithium-magnesium separation membrane includes: (1) preparing an aqueous phase mixture containing aqueous phase monomer, crown ethers or aza-macrocycles, acid acceptor, surfactant and water; (2) preparing an organic phase mixture containing organic phase monomer, and organic solvent that is incompatible with water; (3) contacting the supporting membrane with the aqueous phase mixture to obtain an aqueous phase monomer-adsorbed supporting membrane; (4) contacting the aqueous phase monomer-adsorbed supporting membrane with an organic phase mixture for an interfacial polymerization reaction; and (5) placing a nascent membrane obtained into a drying oven and heat-treating the membrane to obtain a lithium-magnesium separation membrane. The present method is simple in preparation process, mild in preparation conditions, easy to scale up, and easy to realize industrial production. The prepared high-selectivity lithium-magnesium separation membrane is large in permeation flux, high in lithium-magnesium selectivity and good in long-term operation stability.

An object of the present invention is to provide a composite reverse osmosis membrane having improved water permeability and antifouling performance, and a method for producing the same. The composite reverse osmosis membrane of the present invention includes: a porous support; and a skin layer formed on a surface of the porous support. The skin layer contains a polyamide resin. The polyamide resin is a modified polyamide resin modified with an alkylenediamine derivative.

New carbon nanomaterials, preferably titanium carbide-derived carbon (CDC) nanoparticles, were embedded into a polyamide film to give CDC/polyamide mixed matrix membranes by the interfacial polymerization reaction of an aliphatic diamine, e.g., piperazine, and an activated aromatic dicarboxylate, e.g., isophthaloyl chloride, supported on a sulfone-containing polymer, e.g., polysulfone (PSF), layer, which is preferably previously prepared by dry/wet phase inversion. The inventive membranes can separate CO.sub.2 (or other gases) from mixtures of CO.sub.2 and further gases, esp. CH.sub.4, based upon the generally selective nanocomposite layer(s) of CDC/polyamide.

The separations membrane system includes a substrate, a microporous layer, and a selective layer. The microporous layer may be disposed over the substrate. The selective layer may be disposed over the microporous layer, thereby sandwiching the microporous layer between the selective layer and the substrate. The microporous layer includes a thermoplastic material. The selective layer includes a polyamide structure of 2,2-Dimethyl-1,3-propanediamine and/or 1,3,5-Benzenetricarbonyl chloride.