The present disclosure is directed to ultrafiltration membranes based on bacterial nanocellulose and graphene oxide. In particular, the present disclosure is directed to the novel design and incorporation of membranes for realizing new, highly efficient, and environmentally-friendly anti-biofouling membranes for water purification.

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.

The invention relates to the field of membrane gas separation. A method of removing components of gas mixtures which is based on passing the components of a gas mixture through a nanoporous membrane and subsequently selectively absorbing them with a liquid absorbent that is in contact with the nanoporous membrane, wherein to prevent the gas from getting into the liquid phase of the absorbent and the liquid phase of the absorbent from getting into the gas phase, a nanoporous membrane with homogeneous porosity (size distribution less than 50%) and a pore diameter in the range of 5-500 nm is used, and the pressure differential between the gas phase and the liquid absorbent is kept below the membrane bubble point pressure. An acid gas removal performance of more than 0.3 nm.sup.3/(m.sup.2 hour) in terms of CO.sub.2 is achieved at a hollow-fiber membrane packing density of up to 3200 m.sup.2/m.sup.3, which corresponds to a specific volumetric performance of acid gas removal of up to 1000 nm.sup.3 (m.sup.3 hour). The technical result is that of providing effective extraction of undesirable components from natural and process gas mixtures.

An osmotic power generator comprising an active membrane supported in a housing, at least a first chamber portion disposed on a first side of the active membrane for receiving a first electrolyte liquid and a second chamber portion disposed on a second side of the active membrane for receiving a second electrolyte liquid, a generator circuit comprising at least a first electrode electrically coupled to said first chamber, and at least a second electrode electrically coupled to said second chamber, the first and second electrodes configured to be connected together through a generator load receiving electrical power generated by a difference in potential and an ionic current between the first and second electrodes. The active membrane includes at least one pore allowing ions to pass between the first and second sides of the membrane under osmosis due to an osmotic gradient between the first and second electrolyte liquids to generate said difference in potential and ionic current between the first and second electrodes.

The invention relates in general to porous graphene-based films. In particular, the invention relates to a process for the preparation of a porous graphene-based films comprising reduced graphene oxide. The invention also relates to porous graphene-based films prepared by the process and to uses of such porous graphene-based films, in particular, in filtration applications. The invention further relates to porous multi-zone graphene-based films comprising different zones of different porosity.

Nanoporous selective sol-gel ceramic membranes, selective-membrane structures, and related methods are described. Representative ceramic selective membranes include ion-conductive membranes (e.g., proton-conducting membranes) and gas selective membranes. Representative uses for the membranes include incorporation into fuel cells and redox flow batteries (RFB) as ion-conducting membranes.

A method of making a ceramic honeycomb article which includes: applying at least one green membrane coating layer on a green substrate, the green substrate comprising a plurality of cells comprised of a plurality of interior channels and a plurality of porous interior walls between the channels; drying the at least one green membrane coating layer on the green substrate to produce a green coated substrate; and firing the green coated substrate into a porous substrate, wherein applying the at least one green membrane coating layer and the drying the at least one green membrane coating layer are repeated from 2 to 10 times prior to firing to form multiple green membrane coating layers on the green substrate and wherein the firing the green coated substrate forms a ceramic honeycomb article comprised of the porous substrate and multiple fired coating layers on the porous substrate.

A microporous membrane has average membrane thickness of 15 m or less, and relative impedance A after a heat compression treatment under a pressure of 4.0 MPa at 80 C. for 10 minutes of 140% or less, the relative impedance A being obtained by the equation below: Relative impedance A=(impedance measured at 80 C. after the heat compression treatment)/(impedance measured at room temperature prior to the heat compression treatment)100.

This invention relates thin film nanocomposites (TFNCs) and methods of preparing the same by molecular layer-by-layer assembly. The TFNCs comprise a porous nanofibrous support first layer coated with a mid-layer having an outer separating layer, wherein the out separating layer has one or more bilayers or trilayers. The TFNCs can be particularly suitable for use as filtration membranes for the separation of dissolved components from fluids such as ultrafiltration, nanofiltration, and reverse osmosis. Thus, embodiments of the invention also include filtration systems and methods of filtering.

Provided is a gas separation membrane for purifying mixed raw material gas including condensable gas, said gas separation membrane exhibiting excellent separation ability and being capable of maintaining a gas permeation rate at a high level for a long time under a condensable gas atmosphere.