The present disclosure provides an etching mask, a method for manufacturing the same, a method for manufacturing a porous membrane using the same, a porous membrane, a fine dust blocking mask including the same, and a method for manufacturing a surface enhanced Raman scattering active substrate. In this connection, the etching mask includes an organic film; and a pattern layer disposed on the organic film, wherein the pattern layer has openings defined therein having a uniform size, wherein each of the openings includes a micro-scale or nano-scale hole.

A crosslinked protein-based separation membrane and application thereof. The separation membrane is formed by attaching a crosslinked protein nanomembrane to a porous membrane, the crosslinked protein nanomembrane is formed by crosslinking a two-dimensional nanomembrane which is formed by phase transition of a protein with a crosslinking agent, the separation membrane contains a dense surface layer and a support layer, the dense surface layer is the crosslinked protein nanomembrane, and the support layer is the porous membrane; the protein is any one of lysozyme, bovine serum albumin, insulin, and ?-lactalbumin; the crosslinked protein-based separation membrane has a good biocompatibility, may serve as a dialysis membrane for blood purification, and has a higher retention ratio for large molecular proteins.

Photocurable compositions and methods of preparation and use of such compositions. More particularly, photocurable compositions useful for forming topographical features on surfaces such as membrane surfaces. Methods of forming topographical features on a membrane surface using photocurable compositions.

A method for producing a microstructured air-permeable environmental barrier membrane includes providing a substrate, and structuring a through hole into the substrate, the through hole extending fully through the substrate between two opposite surfaces of the substrate, leaving the through hole uncovered, and depositing one or more nanofibers onto at least one of the two opposite substrate surfaces by applying at least one of an electrospinning or blowspinning method, such that the spun nanofibers combine to a network of nanofibers that forms a free-standing and mechanically compliant nanofibrous membrane covering the previously uncovered through hole.

A 3D nanopore device for characterizing biopolymer molecules includes a first selecting layer having a first axis of selection. The device also includes a second selecting layer disposed adjacent the first selecting layer and having a second axis of selection orthogonal to the first axis of selection. The device further includes an third electrode layer disposed adjacent the second selecting layer, such that the first selecting layer, the second selecting layer, and the third electrode layer form a stack of layers along a Z axis and define a plurality of nanopore pillars.

Porous liquid-filtering membranes having a repeatable distribution of pores of a small dimension are provided, as well as pillar templates that are used to produce such liquid filtering membranes. Also disclosed are methods of making and using the pillar templates to make porous liquid filtering membranes.

Hierarchical porous membranes suitable for use in oil/water separation processes are provided. The membranes described herein are particularly well suited for separating trace amounts of water (e.g., no greater than 3 wt % water content, no greater than 1 wt % water content, or 50-1000 ppm water) from oil in droplets less than 1 um in size. The membranes have a wide range of applications, including deep seep oil exploration, oil purification, and oil spill cleanup.

Micro- and nanofilters with precision pore sizes and pore layout have applications in many fields including capturing circulating tumor cells and fetal cells in blood, water treatment, pathogen detection in water, etc. Methods to fabricate micro- and nanofilters not using track etching or reactive ion etching are provided, allowing easy fabrication of single layer or stack of films simultaneously, and/or stack of films on rolls. Microfilter can be made using one or more layers of material. Invention enables mass production of microfilters with lithographic quality at low cost. Isolation, enumeration and characterization of circulating tumor cells using microfilters provides (i) guides to cancer treatment selection and personalize dosage, (ii) low cost monitoring for treatment response, disease progression and recurrence, (iii) assessment of pharmacodynamic effects, (iv) information on mechanisms of resistance to therapy, and (v) cancer staging. Microfabrication methods are also applicable to fabrication of any free standing patterned polymeric films.

The present invention relates to the development and fabrication of thin-film polymer composite materials containing vertically aligned nanopores. The present invention provides methods of aligning nanopores in a polymeric film. The present invention also provides composite materials and methods of fabricating composite materials containing vertically aligned nanopores.

There is provided a method of forming a thin film through-hole membrane comprising: providing a patterning structure, the patterning structure comprising a patterning substrate, a sacrificial layer and a thin film; imprinting the thin film with a patterned mold to form a thin-film through-hole membrane; and contacting the patterning structure with water to dissolve the sacrificial layer, thereby releasing the thin film through-hole membrane from the patterning structure. There is also provided a hierarchical membrane comprising the thin film through-hole membrane prepared from the method.