A porous membrane provides enhanced filtration of pollutants and particles by coating the membrane with conformal thin films of doped titanium dioxide via atomic layer deposition or, alternatively, sequential infiltration synthesis. The membrane can either be organic or inorganic, and the doping of the membrane, usually with nitrogen, is an important feature that shifts the optical absorption of the TiO.sub.2 from the UV range into the visible-light range. This enables the use of lower energy light, including sunlight, to activate the photocatalytic function of the film. The coating described in the present invention is compatible with virtually any porous membrane and allows for precise tuning of the pore size with molecular precision. The present invention presents a new coating process and chemical structure that provides catalytic activity, strongly enhanced by light, to both mitigate fouling and break down various organic pollutants in the process stream.

The present disclosure provides an ion-exchange membrane that includes a supporting substrate impregnated with an ion-exchange material. The supporting substrate includes an imprinted non-woven layer, and the imprinting includes a plurality of deformations at a surface density of at least 16 per cm.sup.2. The supporting substrate may lack a reinforcing layer. In some examples, the supporting substrate may include only a single layer of the imprinted non-woven fabric.

Nanoporous selective sol-gel ceramic membranes, selective-membrane structures, and related methods are described. Representative ceramic selective membranes include ion-conductive membranes (e.g., proton-conducting membranes) and gas selective membranes. Representative uses for the membranes include incorporation into fuel cells and redox flow batteries (RFB) as ion-conducting membranes.

The present disclosure relates to a technology of preparing an anion exchange composite membrane including: a porous polymer support; and a polyfluorene-based anion exchange membrane or a polyfluorene-based anion exchange membrane having a cross-linked structure formed on the support, and applying the same to alkaline fuel cells, water electrolysis, carbon dioxide reduction, metal-air batteries, etc. The polyfluorene-based anion exchange composite membrane including a porous polymer support according to the present disclosure has remarkably improved mechanical properties, dimensional stability, durability, long-term stability, etc.

A thermally reflective membrane apparatus comprises a housing structure, and a thermally reflective membrane contained within the housing structure. The thermally reflective membrane comprises a semipermeable structure, and a porous, thermally reflective structure physically contacting the semipermeable structure. The porous, thermally reflective structure comprises discrete thermally reflective particles, and a binder material coupling the discrete thermally reflective particles to one another and the semipermeable structure. A fluid treatment system and method of treating a fluid are also described.

A composite membrane for selectively separating (e.g., pervaporating) a first fluid (e.g., first liquid such as a high octane compound) from a mixture comprising the first fluid (e.g., first liquid such as a high octane compound) and a second fluid (e.g., second liquid such as gasoline). The composite membrane includes a porous substrate comprising opposite first and second major surfaces, and a plurality of pores. A pore-filling polymer is disposed in at least some of the pores so as to form a layer having a thickness within the porous substrate. The composite membrane further includes at least one of: (a) an ionic liquid mixed with the pore-filling polymer; or (b) an amorphous fluorochemical film disposed on the composite membrane.

A novel or improved base film for impregnation, impregnated base film, product incorporating the impregnated base film, and/or related methods as shown, claimed or described herein.

An oxygen separation membrane includes a porous material and a liquid complex contained in the porous material. The complex contains a metal salen complex or a derivative thereof and a first ionic liquid. The first ionic liquid is constituted by an anion having an amine structure and an imidazolium cation, an aliphatic quaternary phosphonium cation, or an ammonium cation that have alkyl chains, alkylene oxide chains, or alkyl ether chains with each 2 to 20 carbon atoms. The anion of the first ionic liquid is axially coordinated to a central metal ion of the metal salen complex or the derivative thereof.

The antimicrobial agent includes at least one two-dimensional metal carbide layer. The two-dimensional metal carbide has the formula Ti.sub.n+1C.sub.nT.sub.x, where T represents a terminal functional group and x represents the number of terminal functional groups. The two-dimensional metal carbide is preferably Ti.sub.3C.sub.2T.sub.x. The terminating group may be oxygen, hydroxide (OH), fluorine or combinations thereof. The antimicrobial agent may be used as a two-dimensional metal carbide antimicrobial membrane (10) or filter for removal of harmful bacteria, such as E. coli and B. subtilis. A stack of two-dimensional metal carbide layers (14) may be supported on a polymer filter substrate (12), such as a polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) supporting substrate.

A device for removing noxae from blood, in an extracorporeal perfusion system, includes a housing and a plurality of hollow fibers provided inside the housing, which can be perfused by the blood. The hollow fibers each have a plurality of pores that permit the plasma of the blood to flow through the pores from an inside of the hollow fibers to an outside of the hollow fibers. The hollow fibers are modified or pretreated, in particular chemically, in such a way that they have a functionalized surface which binds the noxae to itself and removes the noxae from the blood. An inside surface of the hollow fibers includes a coating, in particular a hemocompatible and anticoagulant coating, which is arranged to prevent damage to the cellular components of the blood when the blood flows through the hollow fibers. An extracorporeal perfusion system includes the device.