The present disclosure discloses a functional fluid gating control system, which comprises a porous membrane and a functional fluid. The functional fluid at least partially infiltrates the porous membrane and cooperates to form a fluid gating pathway. The functional fluid and/or the porous membrane responds to at least one stimulus and undergoes a physical change or a chemical change to change the threshold pressure of the transport substance. A transport fluid being immiscible with the functional fluid is controlled to pass through the fluid gating system, and thus controllable transport and multiphase separation of materials are achieved. The stimulus of the present disclosure comprises a wide range of sources, and the stimulus responsiveness of the functional fluid and the porous membrane can be randomly and freely combined to adapt to multiple stimuli from complex external conditions and achieve intelligent controllability.

A two-layer photo-responsive membrane including a polymer layer and a support layer, the polymer layer being disposed on a surface of the support layer. The polymer layer is formed of a graft copolymer that contains a hydrophobic backbone and multiple side chains, the side chains each consisting of repeat units that switch between a hydrophobic form and a hydrophilic form upon exposure to a light of a specific wavelength. The polymer layer has a molecular weight cut-off of 3,000 to 250,000 Daltons and a thickness of 50 nm to 10 m; and the support layer has a molecular weight cut-off of 50 to 250,000 Daltons. Also disclosed is a method of preparing this two-layer photo-responsive membrane.

The present disclosure is related to porous media with adjustable fluid permeabilities and related systems and methods. In certain cases, the fluid permeability of a porous medium can be adjusted by applying an electrical potential to the porous medium. In some such cases, the application of the electrical potential to the porous medium results in the deposition of material over or the removal of material from the porous medium. Also disclosed herein are systems and methods for capturing species (e.g., acid gases) in which porous media with adjustable fluid permeabilities are used, for example, to control the flow of fluid into and out of a medium used to capture the species.

A fluid control device includes a support structure configured to be deployed to a selected location in a borehole, and a filtration medium disposed at the support structure and configured to filter a fluid, the filtration medium configured to be compacted from an initial shape to a compacted shape prior to deployment in the borehole. The filtration medium includes a first polymeric material configured to withstand a temperature at the selected location, the first polymeric material forming a porous structure including a plurality of fluid passages, and a second polymeric material including a shape memory polymer disposed within the fluid passages, the shape memory polymer configured to expand in the plurality of fluid passages and cause the filtration medium to expand in the borehole.

Autonomous localized permeability material systems are provided that can include: a dynamically permeable porous material; and immobilized reagents operatively associated with the porous material in sufficient proximity to trigger a localized change in material pore size upon reagent reaction. Methods for preparing these materials are also provided as well as methods for autonomously modifying localized permeability of material.

Some embodiments comprise membranes comprising a first layer comprising a porous graphene-based material; a second layer comprising a porous graphene-based material; a channel positioned between the first layer and the second layer, wherein the channel has a tunable channel diameter; and at least one spacer substance positioned in the channel, wherein the spacer substance is responsive to the environmental stimulus. In some cases, the membranes have more than two layers of porous graphene-based material. Permeability of a membrane can be altered by exposing the membrane to an environmental stimulus. Membranes can be used in methods of water filtration, immune-isolation, timed drug release (e.g., sustained or delayed release), hemodialysis, or hemofiltration.

Disclosed herein are reversibly-switchable surfactants and methods of extracting natural products, coating surfaces, cleaning laundry, and osmotic extraction using same.

A monolayer membrane containing gelling polymer particles having at least one of a basic functional group and an acidic functional group, and having a thickness of less than 5 ?m. A composite having a porous carrier and gelling polymer particles having at least any one of a basic functional group and an acidic functional group and filling up the surface pores of the porous carrier. The invention can provide a novel material capable of efficiently separating an acid gas from a mixed gas.

A device and methods are disclosed herein for fluid removal during wound treatment or for removal or dialysis of components from blood or tissue. A device is disclosed that includes a multilayer membrane including a plurality of layers; an electroactive polymer within each layer; and a controller operably connected to sequentially activate the electroactive polymer to alter one or more sizes of the plurality of the variably-sized pores within one or more layers of the multilayer membrane. A device is disclosed that includes a multilayer membrane including a plurality of layers; an actuator operably attached to the plurality of layers of the multilayer membrane; and a controller operably activating the actuator to alter a relative lateral position of the two or more layers of the multilayer membrane to align two or more of the plurality of pores within the plurality of layers of the multilayer membrane.

A system includes a plurality of nanoporous filtering media, wherein each nanoporous filtering media of the plurality of nanoporous filtering media includes a plurality of nanopores, wherein the plurality of nanoporous filtering media are stacked over each other. The system further includes a voltage source connected to a nanoporous filtering media of the plurality of nanoporous filtering media, wherein the voltage source is configured to provide a voltage to the nanoporous filtering media of the plurality of nanoporous media, wherein the voltage source is configured to establish an electrostatic charge within a circumference of each nanopore of the plurality of nanopores of the nanoporous filtering media.