Photocatalytic materials with a composite photocatalyst of a metal oxide impregnated with elemental metal particles, can be embedded into a hydrophilic polymer having pores with diameters of less than 2 nm, to provide a useful water remediation and/or purification product. The metal oxide may be WO.sub.3, Ce.sub.2, Bi.sub.2O.sub.3, NiO, TiO.sub.2, and/or ZnO, and the elemental metal particles, impregnated or compounded into the metal oxide, may be Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Ag, Ce, Mn, Mo, V, Bi, Sn, W, Nb, Pd, and/or Pt. The photocatalytic materials may be easily removed and/or retrieved after use, and can effectively combat both chemical and biological contamination and/or fouling of water as well as the membranes composed of the photocatalytic material.

Provided is a facilitated CO.sub.2 transport membrane having an improved CO.sub.2 permeance and an improved CO.sub.2/H.sub.2 selectivity. The facilitated CO.sub.2 transport membrane includes a separation-functional membrane that includes a hydrophilic polymer gel membrane containing a CO.sub.2 carrier and a CO.sub.2 hydration catalyst. Further preferably, the CO.sub.2 hydration catalyst at least has catalytic activity at a temperature of 100 C. or higher, has a melting point of 200 C. or higher, or is soluble in water.

A bipolar membrane comprising a first member comprising at least one anion exchange material; a second member comprising at least one cation exchange material, wherein the first member and the second member together form an interface junction; and disposed within the interface junction a first layer comprising a first water dissociation catalyst and a second layer comprising a second water dissociation catalyst, wherein the first water dissociation catalyst is different than the second water dissociation catalyst.

Photocatalytic materials with a composite photocatalyst of a metal oxide impregnated with elemental metal particles, can be embedded into a hydrophilic polymer having pores with diameters of less than 2 nm, to provide a useful water remediation and/or purification product. The metal oxide may be WO.sub.3, CeO.sub.2, Bi.sub.2O.sub.3, NiO, TiO.sub.2, and/or ZnO, and the elemental metal particles, impregnated or compounded into the metal oxide, may be Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Ag, Ce, Mn, Mo, V, Bi, Sn, W, Nb, Pd, and/or Pt. The photocatalytic materials may be easily removed and/or retrieved after use, and can effectively combat both chemical and biological contamination and/or fouling of water as well as the membranes composed of the photocatalytic material.

A filtration membrane is provided. It comprises a porous support substrate and a porous active layer on top of the support substrate, wherein the active layer is formed of a network of interconnected, randomly arranged ceramic splats with ceramic particles occupying interstices between the splats, and wherein free spaces between the particles define a network of interconnected pores extending through the thickness of the active layer. There are also provided a method of filtering a feed using the membrane and a method of manufacturing the membrane by suspension plasma spraying.

The present invention relates to a new method for creating nanopores in single layer molybdenum disulfide (MoS.sub.2) nanosheets (NSs) by the electrospray deposition (ESD) of silver ions on a water suspension of the former. Electrospray deposited silver ions react with the MoS.sub.2 NSs at the liquid-air interface resulting in Ag.sub.2S nanoparticles (NPs) which goes into the solution leaving the NSs with holes of 3-5 nm diameter. Specific reaction with the S of MoS.sub.2 NSs leads to Mo-rich edges. Such Mo-rich defects are highly efficient for the generation of active oxygen species such as H.sub.2O.sub.2, under visible light, which causes efficient disinfection of water. The holey MoS.sub.2 NSs shows 10.sup.5 times higher efficiency in disinfection compared to normal MoS.sub.2 NSs. Developed a conceptual prototype and tested with multiple bacterial strains and a viral strain, demonstrating the utility of the method for practical applications.

The present invention relates to a porous material in which at least the pores of the porous material are lined with nanoparticles capable of treating fluids or fluid mixtures that pass through the pores of the porous material and whose treating properties can be fully reinstated through heating the porous material.

A membrane for fuel cells, such as PEM and/or AEM fuel cells and/or electrolyzers is disclosed. Such a membrane (e.g., an anion conducting membrane) may include: crosslinked ionomer comprising two types of functional groups: a first type of functional groups forming crosslinking bonds between two ionomer chains; and a second type of functional groups comprising ion conducting functional groups. In some embodiments, the crosslinking bonds may not include the ion conducting functional groups. A catalyst coated membrane (CCM) is also disclosed. In such case the membrane may further include at least one catalyst layer attached to at least one side of the membrane to form the catalyst coated membrane (CCM). The at least one catalyst layer may include catalyst nanoparticles and crosslinked ionomer of the catalyst layer comprising two types of functional groups.

A carbon molecular sieve (CMS) membrane having improved separation characteristics for separating olefins from their corresponding paraffins is comprised of carbon with at most trace amounts of sulfur and a group 13 metal. The CMS membrane may be made by pyrolyzing a precursor polymer devoid of sulfur in which the precursor polymer has had a group 13 metal incorporated into it, wherein the metal is in a reduced state. The pyrolyzing for the precursor having the group 13 metal incorporated into it is performed in a nonoxidizing atmosphere and at a heating rate and temperature such that the metal in a reduced state (e.g., covalently bonded to carbon or nitrogen or in the metal state).

A catalytic composite is formed of a catalytic layered assembly including a porous catalytic fluoropolymer film and one or more felt batts connected with the porous catalytic fluoropolymer film. At least one felt batt is positioned adjacent the upstream side of the porous catalytic fluoropolymer film to form the catalytic composite. The fluoropolymer film is perforated to allow for enhanced airflow therethrough while retaining the capability of catalyzing the reduction or removal of chemical species in fluid flowing through the catalytic composite.