Charge mosaic membranes useful for desalination applications, and methods of making and using the same, are described.

A structure and method for carbon capture, e.g., in flue gas. An oxygen-terminated crown pore in graphene can be provided. Exposed carbon atoms on the pore edge can be bonded with oxygen to make a crown pore. When the CO.sub.2 is inside the pore, the electrostatic interaction becomes attractive because the positively charged carbon atom in CO.sub.2 is now exposed to negatively charged oxygen atoms on the crown pore edge. A favorable interaction between CO.sub.2 and the crown pore can be expected.

Nano filtering and pumping systems and methods of use thereof for nanoscale gaseous materials by utilizing materials having nanosized perforations through the materials. The perforations generally have an inner diameter similar to that of nanotubes, and in some embodiments, carbon nanotubes are disposed within the perforations. Such materials can partially organize molecules in random motion to move either some selectively or all of them, to create pressure differences and hence motive forces, or cause air flow into pressurized area. Because air is a cloud of particles separated by vacuum, the systems and method in air can be used to create motive force pushing any form of vehicle, lifting force for any form of air vehicle, air compression, power source for any form of machine, conveyor or generator, using the solar energy stored in the air in the form of heat, 24 hours a day, worldwide.

An evaporative cooling system includes a porous ceramic body with a plurality of dry channels and a plurality of wet channels. The plurality of dry channels are configured to inhibit transfer of water vapor into the dry channels and include a barrier layer that includes a roughened layer with a features size less than 1000 nm and a hydrophobic chemical modification disposed on the roughened layer. The plurality of wet channels are configured to allow transfer of water vapor.

Porous membranes are provided according to the invention having desirable coefficient of thermal expansion and large surface area, for example at least about 4,000 mm.sup.2. These porous membranes may be made according to an exemplary process employing lithographic patterning of a photoresist followed by development of the photoresist and etching. In one aspect, the etch barrier layer is chosen from a material that does not react with or incorporate metal or other contaminants into the membrane layer.

Systems and methods can be used to produce fibers with external corrugations, internal corrugations, or both. These fibers can be used, for example, in hollow fiber membrane modules.

The present disclosure discloses a method of fabrication of free standing open pore membranes with uniform pore size and shape and ordered pore distribution, and its use for synthesis of nanoparticle patterns. The method includes applying a photoresist layer to the top surface of a substrate, heating the photoresist layer for a period of time, and exposing the photoresist layer to a dose of ultraviolet radiation through a mask having a predetermined pattern. The dose of ultraviolet radiation is controlled in intensity and time and the photoresist layer is exposed such that a top portion of the photoresist layer through which the dose of ultraviolet radiation enters the photoresist layer undergoes greater cross linking than a bottom portion of the photoresist layer immediately adjacent to the top surface of the substrate such that a cross linking gradient develops through a thickness of the photoresist layer. The mask is removed and the membrane is readily detached from the top surface of the substrate since the portion of the membrane adjacent to the top surface is less cross linked than the top surface of the membrane. The detached membrane forms a free standing patterned membrane having a preselected pattern of open pores. The method can be used with positive photoresist materials as well when deposited on a UV transparent substrate so that the photoresist can be exposed to UV from its top with photomask and UV exposure from its back of the transparent substrate without the photomask.

The present invention relates to a single module, flow-electrode apparatus for continuous water desalination, ion separation and selective ion removal and concentration by capacitive deionization, comprising: a first current collector (1), a first compartment (1′) for a flow electrode, a first ion exchange membrane (AEM, CEM), a first liquid-permeable channel (6a) next to the first ion exchange membrane (AEM, CEM), a second ion exchange membrane (CEM, AEM) with a fixed charge opposite to that of the first ion exchange membrane (AEM, CEM) next to the first liquid-permeable channel (6a), a second liquid-permeable channel (6b) next to the second ion exchange membrane (CEM, AEM), a third ion exchange membrane (AEM, CEM) having the same fixed charge as the first ion exchange membrane (AEM, CEM) next to the second liquid-permeable channel (6b), a second compartment (2′) for a flow electrode, and a second current collector (2), wherein a fluid (4) containing suspended conductive particles or a mixture of conductive and non-conductive particles or particles made of a mixture of conductive and non-conductive materials (5) is provided in the first and second compartments (1′, 2′), acting as the flow electrode, as well as a corresponding method.

The present invention provides a separation membrane and a separation membrane element which are capable of exhibiting good water production performance and excellent in handleability and process passage. A separation membrane of the present invention is a separation membrane including: a separation membrane main body having a feed-side face and a permeate-side face; and a permeate-side channel member adhered to the permeate-side face of the separation membrane main body, in which the permeate-side channel member includes a composition containing at least a high-crystalline polypropylene (A) and satisfies the following requirements (a) and (b): (a) a content of the high-crystalline polypropylene (A) in the composition is from 40 to 95% by weight; and (b) the permeate-side channel member has a melting endothermic energy amount (ΔH) of from 20 to 70 J/g.

An exemplary method includes forming a sacrificial layer along sidewalls of an array of trenches that are indented into a substrate, depositing a fill layer over the sacrificial layer, and then creating an array of gaps between the fill layer and the substrate by removing the sacrificial layer along the sidewalls of the trenches, while maintaining a structural connection between the substrate and the fill layer at the floors of the trenches. The method further includes covering the substrate, the fill layer, and the gaps with a cap layer that seal fluid-tight against the substrate and the fill layer. The method further includes indenting a first reservoir and a second reservoir through the cap layer, and into the substrate and the fill layer, across the lengths of the array of gaps, so that the array of gaps connects the first reservoir in fluid communication with the second reservoir.