Providing a membrane-forming solution suitable for producing a separation membrane such as a hollow fiber membrane and a flat membrane. A membrane-forming solution including triacetylcellulose having an acetyl group substitution degree of 2.7 or higher, a good solvent for thermally induced phase separation and a poor solvent for thermally induced phase separation, wherein the good solvent is capable of heat-dissolving the triacetylcellulose (at a solid content concentration of 25 mass %), and the poor solvent is incapable of dissolving the triacetylcellulose up to the heat dissolution temperature of the good solvent, wherein both the good solvent and the poor solvent are included so as to enable phase separation of the heat-dissolved triacetylcellulose solution while the heat-dissolved triacetylcellulose solution is cooled to room temperature (from 20 to 30 C.), and wherein a mixing ratio in a total amount of the good solvent and the poor solvent is from 5 to 40 mass % of the good solvent and from 60 to 95 mass % of the poor solvent.

Embodiments disclosed herein provide a pleatable freestanding isoporous block-copolymer (BCP) thin films fabricated sans substrate at a size suitable for fabricating pleated cartridges. The thin films have narrow pore size distribution, are mechanically robust, and have exceptional separation performance. These porous BCP thin films are useful as filtration media and separation membranes and are amenable to standard manufacturing practices.

An isoporous membrane includes a multiblock copolymer film. The multiblock copolymer is crosslinked, and the film has a toughness of at least 50 kJ/m.sup.3 as a free-standing film when wet, as measured by integrating the area under a stress-strain curve for the film. Methods of forming isoporous membranes are also included.

A nanoporous polymer membrane with vertically aligned pore channels can be synthesized through self-assembly of amphiphilic block copolymers on a supporting substrate. The pore surface chemistry can be functionalized for selective anion transport,?

A mesoporous isoporous asymmetric material includes at least one diblock or multiblock copolymer, wherein the material has a transition layer having a thickness of at least 300 nm and a low macrovoid density, and the material has a sub-structure adjacent to said transition layer and said sub-structure comprises a high macrovoid density. A method for producing mesoporous isoporous asymmetric materials having macrovoids can include: dissolving at least one diblock or multiblock copolymer in a solution, the solution having one or more solvents and one or more nonsolvents, to form a polymer solution; dispensing the polymer solution onto a substrate or mold, or through a die or template; removing at least a portion of solvent and/or nonsolvent from the polymer solution to form a concentrated polymer solution; and exposing the concentrated polymer solution to a nonsolvent causing precipitation of at (least a portion of the polymer from the concentrated polymer solution.

Self-assembled porous block copolymer materials with a complex block copolymer architecture, methods of preparing, uses for separation and detection, and devices for using as such. The porous materials contain at least one of macro, meso, or micro pores, at least some of which are isoporous, and include at least one block copolymer with at least two chemically distinct blocks, which further comprises a complex architecture such as: multiple distinct monomers in or between blocks, branching, crosslinking, or ring architectures.

Multi-block isoporous structures for non-aqueous and/or harsh chemical media having at least one of high separation specificity, chemical resistance, and antifouling properties, methods of manufacturing and use, for replacements or alternatives to existing separation membrane technologies.

The present disclosure provides a porous membrane made of pentablock copolymer. The porous membrane includes an ABCBA block copolymer and has a number of pores. The A block is immiscible with each of the B block and the C block, the B block has a glass transition temperature (T.sub.g) of 90 degrees Celsius or greater, and the C block has a T.sub.g of 25 degrees Celsius or less. The A block comprises a poly(alkylene oxide), a substituted epoxide, a polylactam, or a substituted carbonate; B block comprises a vinyl aromatic monomer or a polyalkylmethacrylate and C block comprises a polyacrylate, a polysiloxane or a polyisoprene. A method of making a porous membrane is also provided. The method includes forming a film or a hollow fiber from a solution including a solvent and solids containing an ABCBA block copolymer. The method further includes removing at least a portion of the solvent from the film or the hollow fiber and contacting the film or the hollow fiber with a nonsolvent.

An asymmetric membrane. The asymmetric membrane includes a membrane wall with a first and a second porous surface and an interior situated between the surfaces; a first asymmetrical region towards the first surface; a second asymmetrical region towards the second surface; wherein the asymmetric membrane is made from a polymeric blend comprising an aromatic sulfone polymer and poly (2-oxazoline); and wherein the asymmetric membrane is in the form of a flat sheet.

The present disclosure provides an article including an isoporous membrane disposed on a porous substrate. The iso-porous membrane includes a triblock copolymer or a pentablock copolymer. The isoporous membrane has a thickness and is isoporous throughout its thickness. A method of making an article is also provided, which does not require a solvent exchange process. The method includes depositing a composition on a porous substrate, thereby forming a fdm, and removing at least a portion of the solvent from the film, thereby forming an isoporous membrane having numerous pores. The composition contains a solvent and solids including a triblock copolymer or a pentablock copolymer. The article advantageously can be hydrophilic and provides sharp molecular weight cut-offs and high flux.