This disclosure relates to membranes containing a polymer containing crown ether monomer units and a guest compound capable of binding thereto. This disclosure also relates to methods for making the membranes, and to methods for using the membranes for gas separation applications.

Disclosed is the preparation of composite membranes formed by a tailored selective chemical modification of an ultra-thin nanoporous surface layer of a semi-crystalline mesoporous poly (aryl ether ketone) membrane with graded density pore structure. The composite separation layer is synthesized in situ on the poly (aryl ether ketone) substrate surface and is covalently linked to the surface of the semi-crystalline mesoporous poly (aryl ether ketone) membrane. Hollow fiber configuration is the preferred embodiment of forming the functionalized the poly (aryl ether ketone) membranes. Composite poly (aryl ether ketone) membranes of the present invention are particularly useful for a broad range of fluid separation applications, including organic solvent ultrafiltration and nanofiltration to separate and recover active pharmaceutical ingredients.

The present invention provides a room-temperature selective swelling method of pore-forming used for preparing separation membranes, comprising: treating a dense membrane of an amphiphilic block copolymer by a composite swelling agent at 15-30° C. for 1 min-24 h, removing the residual solvent, then leaving the membrane at room temperature to dry, so as to obtain an amphiphilic block copolymer separation membrane with a bi-continuous porous structure, wherein the composite swelling agent is composed of 60-96% of a first swelling agent and 4-40% of a second swelling agent, the first swelling agent is an alcohol solvent, the second swelling agent is selected from any one or a mixture of two or more of toluene, styrene, tetrahydrofuran, 1,4-dioxane and so on. In the method of the invention, selective swelling can be achieved at room temperature, abating the energy consumption in membrane-forming process. The method has universality and can be widely used in the pore-forming process of various amphiphilic block copolymers. The swelling level and morphology can be controlled by adjusting the composition of the solvent in the swelling agent and the second swelling agent content in the swelling agent.

Embodiments described herein relate generally to durable graphene oxide membranes for fluid filtration. For example, the graphene oxide membranes can be durable under high temperatures non-neutral pH, and/or high pressures. One aspect of the present disclosure relates to a filtration apparatus comprising: a support substrate, and a graphene oxide membrane disposed on the support substrate. The graphene oxide membrane has a first lactose rejection rate of at least 50% with a first 1 wt % lactose solution at room temperature. The graphene oxide membrane has a second lactose rejection rate of at least 50% with a second 1 wt % lactose solution at room temperature after the graphene oxide membrane is contacted with a solution that is at least 80° C. for a period of time.

Membranes including functionalized carbon nanotubes, nanodiamonds and/or graphene oxide immobilized in or on the membranes are disclosed. The membranes including the immobilized nanocarbons increase interactions with water vapor to improve desalination efficiency in membrane distillation. The membranes may be deployed in all modes of membrane distillation such as air gap membrane distillation, direct contact membrane distillation, vacuum membrane distillation and other separations.

Water permeable coated substrates and filtration membranes are provided comprising: (a) a porous substrate; (b) an optional primer layer applied to a substrate surface (a), wherein the primer layer comprises silica and/or an organometallic compound; (c) a superhydrophilic coating layer applied to the porous substrate (a), or the primer layer (b), wherein the superhydrophilic layer comprises a superhydrophilic polymer or silicate; and (d)

an optional tie layer applied to the superhydrophilic coating layer (c), wherein the tie layer comprises silica and/or an organometallic compound. The water permeable coated substrates and filtration membranes may further include (e) an oleophobic coating layer applied to the superhydrophilic coating layer (c), or the tie layer (d), wherein the oleophobic coating layer comprises a fluoropolymer having reactive functional groups. Each layer of the coated substrate is covalently bonded to adjacent layers. Methods of separating an oil-in-water emulsion are also disclosed.

A filtering device is for obtaining a chemical liquid by purifying a liquid to be purified, and has an inlet portion, an outlet portion, a filter A, at least one filter B different from the filter A, and a flow path which includes the filter A and the filter B arranged in series between the inlet portion and the outlet portion and extends from the inlet portion to the outlet portion, in which the filter A includes at least one kind of porous membrane selected from the group consisting of a first porous membrane having a porous base material made of polytetrafluoroethylene and a non-crosslinked coating which is formed to cover the porous base material and contains a perfluorosulfonic acid polymer and a second porous membrane containing polytetrafluoroethylene blended with a perfluorosulfonic acid polymer.

Membranes suitable for use in membrane distillation are provided. Such membranes may include nano-fibrous layers with adjustable pore sizes. The membranes may include a hydrophobic nano fibrous scaffold and a thin hydrophilic protecting layer that can significantly reduce fouling and scaling problems.

A catalyst system comprising a combination of: 1) an activator; 2) one or more metallocene catalyst compounds; 3) a support comprising an organosilica material, which is a mesoporous organosilica material. The organosilica material is a polymer of at least one monomer of Formula [Z.sup.1OZ.sup.2 SiCh.sub.2].sub.3(i), where Z.sup.1 represents a hydrogen atom, a C1-C4 alkyl group, or a bond to a silic-on atom of another monomer and Z.sup.2 represents a hydroxyl group, a C.sub.1-C.sub.4alkoxy group, a C.sub.1-C.sub.6 salkyl group, or an oxygen atom bonded to a silicon atom of another monomer. This invention further relates to processes to polymerize olefins comprising contacting one or more olefins with the above catalyst system.

An electrospun polymer nanofibrous membrane that provides high filtering efficiency and excellent porosity is disclosed herein. The membrane may be treated with one or more antimicrobial or antiviral agents. The treatment may preferably be a coating of one or more antiviral agents on the surface of the membrane. Alternatively, one or more antiviral agents may be impregnated into the membrane. The membrane may additionally or alternatively be impregnated with one or more metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). The membrane has a high filtering efficiency and sufficient porosity to provide breathability characteristics. In some embodiments, the membrane is suitable for use in making facemasks and respirators that are highly resistant to infectious pathogens and/or other small particulates. In some embodiments, the membrane is suitable for use in HVAC applications. In some embodiments, the membrane is suitable for use in removal of VOCs and CO.sub.2 in conjunction with a carbon nanofiber membrane.