An interfacial solar membrane includes a substrate with a coating of polypyrrole disposed on a surface of the substrate. The coating of polypyrrole is formed by dipping the substrate in a solution of pyrrole monomer and iron(III) chloride. The interfacial solar membrane can include a coating to improve a hydrophobicity of the interfacial solar membrane, such as a coating of 1H,1H,2H-perfluorooctyltriethoxysilane. A method of using the interfacial solar membrane includes using the interfacial solar membrane to evaporate a fluid and condensing the evaporated fluid to remove an impurity from the fluid.

Materials and methods for forming self-assembled peptoid structures that are extremely stable, crystalline, free-standing and self-repairing are described. Based on the peptoid design, peptoid membranes in a 2D arrangement was able toroll into single-walled nanotubes with tunable sizes, diameters, thicknesses and stiffnesses as well as tailorable functions result. Crystalline nanomaterials made through this facile solution crystallization and anisotropic formation process are highly tailorable and exhibit a number of properties advantageous for applications such as water decontamination, cellular adhesion, imaging, surface coating, biosensing, energy conversion, biocatalysis or other applications.

Materials and methods for forming self-assembled peptoid structures that are extremely stable, crystalline, free-standing and self-repairing are described. Based on the peptoid design, peptoid membranes in a 2D arrangement was able toroll into single-walled nanotubes with tunable sizes, diameters, thicknesses and stiffnesses as well as tailorable functions result. Crystalline nanomaterials made through this facile solution crystallization and anisotropic formation process are highly tailorable and exhibit a number of properties advantageous for applications such as water decontamination, cellular adhesion, imaging, surface coating, biosensing, energy conversion, biocatalysis or other applications.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a porous membrane that has both high water permeability and excellent protein fractionation performance. Provided is a method for producing a porous membrane, said method comprising a step for discharging a membrane-forming dope that contains a hydrophilic polymer from a slit formed in a mouthpiece, and a step for, after the passage of the discharged membrane-forming dope through a dry part, solidifying the membrane-forming dope in a coagulation bath to give a porous membrane, wherein the cross-section area of the slit is 3-30 times inclusive as large as the cross-section area of the solidified porous membrane.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a porous membrane that has both high water permeability and excellent protein fractionation performance. Provided is a method for producing a porous membrane, said method comprising a step for discharging a membrane-forming dope that contains a hydrophilic polymer from a slit formed in a mouthpiece, and a step for, after the passage of the discharged membrane-forming dope through a dry part, solidifying the membrane-forming dope in a coagulation bath to give a porous membrane, wherein the cross-section area of the slit is 3-30 times inclusive as large as the cross-section area of the solidified porous membrane.

Novel block copolymers comprising at least one (poly)2-C.sub.1-3alkyl-2-oxazoline block and at least one (poly)dimethyl siloxane block, having at least one end group X which includes both an NH.sub.2 group and an NH group, have been found to be particularly suitable for forming vesicles. The vesicles may be used to form filtration membranes.

Novel block copolymers comprising at least one (poly)2-C.sub.1-3alkyl-2-oxazoline block and at least one (poly)dimethyl siloxane block, having at least one end group X which includes both an NH.sub.2 group and an NH group, have been found to be particularly suitable for forming vesicles. The vesicles may be used to form filtration membranes.

The present invention relates to a composite characterized by comprising an aromatic liquid crystalline compound and a metal organic framework containing an anisotropic metal organic framework particle, wherein the anisotropic metal organic framework particle is reversibly switched between isotropy and anisotropy oriented in one direction; and a laminate comprising the composite. The composite of the present invention can orient the metal organic framework in one direction, and can precisely control the orientation direction.

The present invention relates to a composite characterized by comprising an aromatic liquid crystalline compound and a metal organic framework containing an anisotropic metal organic framework particle, wherein the anisotropic metal organic framework particle is reversibly switched between isotropy and anisotropy oriented in one direction; and a laminate comprising the composite. The composite of the present invention can orient the metal organic framework in one direction, and can precisely control the orientation direction.

The organic-inorganic composite of the present invention includes an organic compound having a carbonyl group, an inorganic compound containing a metal component, and a silver component. The ratio of the number of metal atoms in the inorganic compound to the number of carbon atoms in the organic compound is from 0.04 to 1.60, and the ratio of the number of silver atoms in the silver component to the number of carbon atoms in the organic compound is from 0.07 to 0.55. The organic-inorganic composite may include, for example, an inorganic compound having a metal matrix structure containing a metal M and oxygen, an organic compound having a carbonyl group, and silver ions. The carbonyl group is bonded to a side chain R.sup.1 of the organic compound and has an end group R.sup.2.