Micro- or nano-pores are produced in a membrane for various applications including filtration and sorting functions. Pores with at least one cross-sectional dimension in or near the nano-scale are provided. Device designs and processing allow for the use of thin film disposition and nano-imprinting or nano-molding to produce arrays of nano-pores in membrane materials functioning in applications such as filtration membranes, drug application/control structures, body fluid sampling structures, and sorting membranes. The nano-imprinting or nano-molding approach is utilized to create nano-elements in an organic or inorganic mold material with at least one nano-element cross-sectional dimension in or close to the nano-scale. These nano-elements can be in various shapes including slits, cones, columns, domes, and hemispheres.

The present invention relates to a method for the production of a positively charged membrane. Furthermore the present invention relates to a positively charged membrane obtainable by the methods of present invention and the use of these positively charged membranes.

Systems and methods for treating a membrane are described. The method includes causing a nanomaterial to contact at least a portion of a wall of at least on channel extending through a membrane, and causing the nanomaterial to adhere to the portion of the wall of the at least one channel. A fluid filtration system is also described. The filtration system includes a housing and a filter membrane. The housing may have a reservoir and a filter compartment. The filter membrane may have a channel extending therethrough. The channel may have a plurality of micropores along a wall thereof. The filter compartment may be configured to receive the filter membrane therein, the filter membrane configured to guide fluid thereacross to remove substances from the fluid or to modify substances in the fluid.

A method bilayer composite thin-film beam structure is described. The structure incorporates a bulk phase change material as small inclusions in one layer of a bimorph. The structure, also referred to as a phase change composite bimorph or PCBM, curls abruptly, and reversibly, at a phase transition temperature. Large curling and effective expansion coefficients are demonstrated. The PCBMs may be employed in various self-assembly mechanisms and actuators.

A membrane includes a porous polymer substrate, and at least a first layer of graphene platelets supported by the substrate. The graphene platelets of the first layer include aminated graphene platelets. A method for making a membrane includes providing a porous polymer substrate, providing a first suspension of graphene platelets in a fluid, wherein the graphene platelets of the first suspension are aminated graphene platelets, and applying the first suspension to the substrate to deposit a layer of the aminated graphene platelets on the substrate.

A membrane includes a porous polymer substrate, and at least a first layer of graphene platelets supported by the substrate. The graphene platelets of the first layer include aminated graphene platelets. A method for making a membrane includes providing a porous polymer substrate, providing a first suspension of graphene platelets in a fluid, wherein the graphene platelets of the first suspension are aminated graphene platelets, and applying the first suspension to the substrate to deposit a layer of the aminated graphene platelets on the substrate.

A hydrogen permeation membrane is provided that can include a carbon-based material (C) and a ceramic material (BZCYT) mixed together. The carbon-based material can include graphene, graphite, carbon nanotubes, or a combination thereof. The ceramic material can have the formula BaZr.sub.1-x-y-zCe.sub.xY.sub.yT.sub.zO.sub.3-, where 0x0.5, 0y0.5, 0z0.5, (x+y+z)>0; 00.5, and T is Yb, Sc, Ti, Nb, Ta, Mo, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Ga, In, or a combination thereof. In addition, the BZYCT can be present in the C-BZCYT mixture in an amount ranging from about 40% by volume to about 80% by volume. Further, a method of forming such a membrane is also provided. A method is also provided for extracting hydrogen from a feed stream.

A bipolar membrane BP characterized in that particles 5 of a basic metal chloride are distributed in the interface between a cation-exchange membrane 1 and an anion-exchange membrane 3.

The disclosure relates to processes, related polyacid polymers, and related articles for functionalizing a porous membrane by contacting the membrane with a polyacid polymer at low pH to stably adsorb a polyacid layer on the membrane pore surface, in particular polyacid polymers including repeating units with a pendent metal-binding ligand or star polyacid polymers. The resulting functionalized membrane is characterized by a high density of free acid groups, resulting in a higher specific capacity for its intended application. The process allows functionalization of porous membranes in a very simple, one-step process, for example without a need to derivatize an adsorbed polyacid layer to impart metal-binding ligand functionality thereto. Such functional membranes may find multiple uses, including rapid, selective binding of proteins for their purification or immobilization.

The present invention provides a gel having an interpenetrating network formed from a first network structure and a second network structure, the first network structure being composed of a first crosslinked polymer formed from at least one noncrosslinkable compound selected from the group consisting of a compound represented by the following formula (I) and a compound represented by the following formula (II), and at least one crosslinkable compound selected from the group consisting of a compound represented by the following formula (III) and a compound represented by the following formula (IV), and the second network structure being composed of a second crosslinked polymer having at least one selected from the group consisting of an acidic dissociative group, an acidic dissociative group in a salt form, and a derivative group of an acidic dissociative group:

##STR00001##

wherein the groups are as defined in the DESCRIPTION.