A method for preparing a self-supporting composite nanofiltration membrane is provided. A porous graphene-based two-dimensional sheet material is prepared by taking amino graphene quantum dots as the main body and subjecting them to an interfacial polymerization reaction with polyacyl chloride, and then the porous graphene-based two-dimensional sheet material is encapsulated in-situ with polyamide by an in-situ encapsulating technology to prepare a self-supporting porous graphene/polyamide separation layer with excellent permeability and high selectivity.

Disclosed are membranes formed from self-assembling diblock copolymers of the formula (I): ##STR00001##
wherein R.sup.1-R.sup.4, n, and m are as described herein, which find use in preparing porous membranes. Embodiments of the membranes contain the diblock copolymer self-assembled into a cylindrical morphology. Also disclosed is a method of preparing such membrane which involves spray coating a polymer solution containing the diblock copolymer to obtain a thin film, followed by annealing the thin film in a solvent vapor and/or soaking in a solvent or mixture of solvents to form a nanoporous membrane.

Disclosed are self-assembled structures formed from self-assembling diblock copolymers of the formula (I): ##STR00001##
wherein R.sup.1-R.sup.4, n, and m are as described herein, which find use in preparing nanoporous membranes. In embodiments of the self-assembled structure, the block copolymer self-assembles into a cylindrical morphology. Also disclosed is a method of preparing such self-assembled structure which involves spin coating a polymer solution containing the diblock copolymer to obtain a thin film, followed by solvent annealing of the film. Further disclosed is a method of preparing porous membranes from the self-assembled structures.

A composite polymeric membrane includes polylactic acid polymer and an additive component, wherein the additive component includes activated carbon functionalized with polyethylenimine. A method of filtering a liquid includes contacting a liquid with a composite polymeric membrane, wherein the liquid includes one or more metals and the membrane includes an additive component and a polylactic acid polymer, and wherein the additive component includes activated carbon functionalized with polyethylenimine.

Electrically conductive membranes (ECMs) have been demonstrated in the literature as a promising tool to enhance the performance of membrane-based water/wastewater treatment technologies. Membrane surface functionalization with active conductive materials is a direct and effective approach to obtain membranes with electrically conductive properties. However, a general strategy that could be utilized to fabricate ECMs using any types of commercial membrane (e.g., reverse osmosis, nanofiltration, ultrafiltration, and microfiltration) as a support or any type of conductive material as active material is not available yet. To address this need, the subject matter described herein is a facile and low-cost polyethyleneimine/glutaraldehayde-based method for synthesis of electrically conductive membranes starting from a broad range of commercial membranes (i.e., SWC4+, ESPA3, NF 270, PSf 20 KDa, and 0.1 m PVDF membranes) by using graphite or other conductive materials, including but not limited to, carbon nanotubes, activated charcoal, reduced graphene oxide, and silver nanoparticles.

Carbon-doped layers and methods of making and using same. In various examples, a carbon-doped layer is porous. In various examples, a carbon-doped layer is a carbon-doped metal oxide and/or metal layer. In various examples, a carbon-doped layer is disposed on at least a portion of substrate. In various examples, a method of making carbon-doped layer(s) comprises contacting a substrate with liquid carbon precursor(s) and optionally, water, and contacting the substrate with liquid precursor(s) and optionally, water with one or more vapor-phase metal and/or metal oxide precursor(s), where the carbon-doped layer(s) is/are formed. In various examples, a method further comprises the carbon-doped layer(s), where porous carbon-doped layer(s) is/are formed. In various examples, a filtration substrate comprises one or more porous carbon-doped layer(s). In various examples, a filtration substrate is used in a separation method or the like. In various examples, the method is an organic solvent nanofiltration (OSN) or the like.

The present invention refers to a surface coating of commercial polyamide (PA) membranes with graphene oxide (GO) using a technology that involves spin-coating with specific sequence of low and high rotation, interface phenomena provided by a set of materials containing ethyl alcohol in high concentration, as well as morphological characteristics and customized surface chemistry of GO, among other conditions that allow a differentiated technology to obtain an effective coating of GO on PA membrane.

A gas separation membrane including a separation functional layer in at least part thereof, the gas separation membrane having a fibrous shape or film-like shape, the separation functional layer including a matrix and particles. Provided are a gas separation membrane and a gas separation membrane module capable of preventing breakage of the gas separation membrane during the operation, and allowing long-term stable production of excellent permeation and separation properties.

A filtration membrane includes an alumina support; a polyamide network disposed on the alumina support and formed by polycondensation between piperazine (PIP) and isophthaloyl dichloride (IPC); and a polypyrrole-graphitic carbon nitride (PPy-G-C.sub.3N.sub.4) photocatalyst embedded in the polyamide network through covalent bonding, the PPy-G-C.sub.3N.sub.4 photocatalyst including nanosheets of graphitic carbon nitride (G-C.sub.3N.sub.4) embedded in a matrix of a polypyrrole (PPy) polymer. The membrane of the present disclosure can be used for separating oil and water.

A method for producing a gas separation membrane includes a step of leaving a dispersion liquid to stand still, the dispersion liquid being obtained by mixing zeolite microcrystalline bodies formed from MFI zeolite and graphene oxide with pure water, and covering the periphery of the zeolite microcrystalline bodies with the graphene oxide; a step of drying the dispersion liquid after being left to stand to obtain a powder; a step of subjecting the powder to a reduction treatment of the graphene oxide by means of heating; and a step of pressure-forming the powder after the reduction treatment so as to be formed into a membrane form.