Methods are generally provided for forming a membrane. In one embodiment, the method includes: dispersing GO nanoparticles in a solvent; depositing the GO nanoparticles on a support to form a GO membrane; and reducing the GO membrane to form a rGO membrane. Also provided is the rGO membrane formed from such methods, along with a plurality of stacked rGO layers. Methods are also provided for separating water from a water/oil emulsion by, for example, passing water through the rGO membrane.

The present disclosure relates to a method of forming a metallic layer having pores extending therethrough, the method comprising the steps of: (a) contacting a cathode substrate with an electrolyte solution comprising at least one cation; reducing the cation to deposit the metallic layer on a surface of the cathode substrate; and (c) generating a plurality of non-conductive regions on the cathode substrate surface during reducing step (b); wherein the deposition of the metallic layer is substantially prevented on the non-conductive regions on the cathode substrate surface to thereby form pores extending through the deposited metallic layer. The present disclosure further provides a metallic porous membrane fabricated by the disclosed process.

The present application relates to a method for manufacturing an inverse opal structure membrane filter, the method comprising the steps of: preparing a mixed solution by mixing a nanoparticle dispersion solution and a sacrificial particle dispersion solution; applying the mixed solution onto a substrate to dry it; and heat-treating the mixed solution, wherein the surface of the sacrificial particles is modified by positive charges or negative charges.

Provided is a method for making a porous graphene layer of a thickness of less than 100 nm, including the following steps: providing a catalytically active substrate, said catalytically active substrate on its surface being provided with a plurality of catalytically inactive domains having a size essentially corresponding to the size of the pores in the resultant porous graphene layer; and chemical vapour deposition and formation of the porous graphene layer on the surface of the catalytically active substrate. The catalytically active substrate is a copper-nickel alloy substrate with a copper content in the range of 98 to less than 99.96% by weight and a nickel content in the range of more than 0.04-2% by weight, the copper and nickel contents complementing to 100% by weight of the catalytically active substrate.