There is described a method of preparing solid particles of a compound, said method comprising controlling provision of a liquid phase, wherein said liquid phase comprises a solution of the compound, in a first flow direction to a membrane, said membrane defining a plurality of pores; and controlling the supersaturation of the liquid phase after it has passed through the membrane via the plurality of pores, to form solid particles of the compound. The method may comprise a continuous method.

Disclosed herein is a porous membrane comprising a porous substrate; a porous ceramic coating disposed on the porous substrate; where an average pore size of pores in the porous substrate are larger than an average pore size of pores in the porous coating. Disclosed herein is a method of manufacturing a porous membrane comprising disposing upon a porous substrate a porous ceramic coating, where the porous ceramic coating has an average pore size that is less than an average pore size of the porous substrate.

Hydrogen purification devices and their components are disclosed. In some embodiments, the devices may include at least one foil-microscreen assembly disposed between and secured to first and second end frames. The at least one foil-microscreen assembly may include at least one hydrogen-selective membrane and at least one microscreen structure including a non-porous planar sheet having a plurality of apertures forming a plurality of fluid passages. The planar sheet may include generally opposed planar surfaces configured to provide support to the permeate side. The plurality of fluid passages may extend between the opposed surfaces. The at least one hydrogen-selective membrane may be metallurgically bonded to the at least one microscreen structure.

In some embodiments, the present disclosure pertains to systems and methods for distilling a fluid by exposing the fluid to a porous membrane that includes a surface capable of generating heat. In some embodiments, the heat generated at the surface propagates the distilling of the fluid by converting the fluid to a vapor that flows through the porous membrane and condenses to a distillate. In some embodiments, the surface capable of generating heat is associated with a photo-thermal composition that generates the heat at the surface by converting light energy from a light source to thermal energy. In some embodiments, the photo-thermal composition includes, without limitation, noble metals, semiconducting materials, dielectric materials, carbon-based materials, composite materials, nanocomposite materials, nanoparticles, hydrophilic materials, polymers, fibers, meshes, fiber meshes, hydrogels, hydrogel meshes, nanomaterials, and combinations thereof. Further embodiments pertain to methods of making the porous membranes of the present disclosure.

A precursor mixture for producing a porous body, wherein the precursor mixture comprises: (i) at least one milled alpha alumina powder having a particle size of 0.1 to 6 microns, (ii) non-silicate powder that functions as a binder of the alpha alumina powders, and (iii) at least one burnout material having a particle size of 1-10 microns and a decomposition temperature of less than 550° C., with the proviso that a burnout material having a decomposition temperature of 550° C. or greater is excluded from the precursor mixture.

The present disclosure relates to nanocomposites of CuO/Cu.sub.2O and continuous flow solar reactors. The nanocomposites can be utilized as a photocatalyst and can be incorporated into photoelectrochemical devices. The described devices, systems, and methods can be used for converting CO.sub.2 into one or more alcohols and other small organics with the use of solar energy and electricity. Other embodiments are described.

Rapid evaporation of water for desalination and dewatering using nanobubbles and micro-droplets is disclosed. Warm nanobubbles of air are injected into seawater or another water source to be treated, and the normal stasis of the nanobubbles is disrupted with ultrasonic energy. The nanobubbles implode and violently recombine into microbubbles. Energized by the effects of the nanobubble state change, these energetic, relatively high surface area microbubbles bubbles quickly rise to the surface of the water, creating an aerosol of micro-water droplets above the surface that is drawn into a dry, warm stream of air and rapidly evaporates, precipitating out salt crystals. The air is then cooled with a chiller, condensing the moisture in the air into fresh water.

Disclosed are super-hydrophobic, super oleophilic membranes comprising a metal mesh comprising copper, a coating comprising a carbohydrate derivative, wherein the carbohydrate derivative is covalently or ionically bonded to a metal mesh surface and methods of preparation thereof. The disclosed membranes are useful for wastewater treatment in the oil industry, in particular for oil/water separation processes.

A universal, scalable, solvent-free, one-step method for thermal annealing a stainless steel membrane to create a superhydrophilic surface. The superhydrophilic membrane itself, and methods for using it to separate oil and water in an oil and water mixture or for photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue and other organic contaminants.

A power generation system, includes: a fuel cell that includes a negative electrode and a positive electrode and is configured to generate electric power by chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen; a separator that includes a hydrogen-permselective separation membrane and is configured to obtain permeated gas and non-permeated gas from mixed gas; and a negative electrode gas supply passage configured to supply the mixed gas containing hydrogen to the separator and supply the permeated gas obtained by the separator to the negative electrode. The separation membrane includes a porous support layer and a separation functional layer provided on the porous support layer. The separation functional layer contains at least one kind of chemical compound selected from the group consisting of polyamide, graphene, MOF (Metal Organic Framework), and COF (Covalent Organic Framework).