An ultrafiltration/nanofiltration membrane with gas-tunable pore size is provided. This membrane comprises an active layer arranged between two porous support layers, wherein the active layer is formed of randomly arranged cellulose nanocrystals, wherein pores are defined in the active layer by the free spaces existing between the randomly arranged cellulose nanocrystals, and wherein chains of a CO.sub.2-responsive polymer are grafted on the surface of the cellulose nanocrystals. There are also provided methods for filtering a feed using the membrane, for tuning the apparent pore size/MWCO/charge of the membrane, for cleaning the membrane, and for manufacturing the membrane.

Transport of a vaporizable liquid containing at least one solute through a material containing nanochannels is performed by contacting material with at least one vaporizable liquid component and inducing liquid transport along nanochannel interior wall surfaces, wherein the material contains nanochannels having an average diameter up to about 300 nm, preferably up to about 100 nm, and liquid transport is induced by partial liquid vaporization. A film of solid material is deposited onto an interior nanochannel wall surface by removing the transport liquid.

The present disclosure relates to a nanofiltration membrane and a method of manufacturing a nanofiltration membrane. The method includes providing a support structure having a first mesoporous layer made of TiO.sub.2 and/or ZrO.sub.2 and a second porous layer adjacent to the mesoporous layer made of aluminum oxide. The method further includes grafting an anchoring group within pores of the first mesoporous layer, wherein the second layer is inert to the grafting step. An initiator for a surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization (SI-ATRP) reaction is covalently bonded to the anchoring group. The support structure is impregnated with a monomer and a solvent, and a polymerization reaction is performed, which includes passing a catalyst through the mesoporous layer, the monomer being configured to start the polymerization reaction by grafting from the initiator in the presence of the catalyst.

Transport of a vaporizable liquid containing at least one solute through a material containing nanochannels is performed by contacting material with at least one vaporizable liquid component and inducing liquid transport along nanochannel interior wall surfaces, wherein the material contains nanochannels having an average diameter up to about 300 nm, preferably up to about 100 nm, and liquid transport is induced by partial liquid vaporization. A film of solid material is deposited onto an interior nanochannel wall surface by removing the transport liquid.

Provided is a method for manufacturing a water-treatment membrane, the method including bringing an aqueous solution including free chlorine and a halogen ion into contact with a polyamide active layer, wherein the free chlorine is present in an amount from 150 ppm to 400 ppm and the halogen ion is present in an amount from 150 ppm to 400 ppm based on the aqueous solution, and a water-treatment membrane manufactured using the same.

The invention relates to carbon supported crack- and tear-free graphene membranes of large area useful for selective gas separation, method of preparation and uses thereof. In particular, the invention relates to carbon supported crack- and tear-free graphene membranes having good gas separation performance, in particular high H.sub.2 permeance and H.sub.2/CH.sub.4 selectivities.

The embodiments provide a modified filter membrane for separating a crude solution of a biological product and a viral contaminant. The filter membrane has a cellulosed based porous surface, and at least one divalent metal ion bound to the cellulose based porous surface of the filter membrane to form a modified filter membrane cellulose based porous surface, wherein the modified cellulose based porous surface separates the crude solution by retaining a viral contaminant greater than 15 nm in diameter while allowing a biological product smaller than 15 nm in diameter to pass through. The embodiments also provide a method of filtering a crude solution of a biological product and a viral contaminant using a modified filter membrane by adding a divalent metal ion to a filter membrane porous surface to form a modified filter membrane porous surface with a pore size in the range of 1 to 15 nm in size, and filtering the crude solution of the biological product and the viral contaminant through the porous surface of the modified filter membrane, wherein the modified filter membrane retains the viral contaminant on the porous surface while allowing the biological product to pass through.

Two-dimensional material based filters, their method of manufacture, and their use are disclosed. In one embodiment, a membrane may include an active layer including a plurality of defects and a deposited material associated with the plurality of defects may reduce flow therethrough. Additionally, a majority of the active layer may be free from the material. In another embodiment, a membrane may include a porous substrate and an atomic layer deposited material disposed on a surface of the porous substrate. The atomic layer deposited material may be less hydrophilic than the porous substrate and an atomically thin active layer may be disposed on the atomic layer deposited material.

A metal coated polymer membrane, a method for the production thereof, an electrofiltration device, or an electrosorption device, and a method of electrofiltration and electrosorption using a metal coated polymer membrane. The polymer membrane is coated with metal using Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD).

A metal coated polymer membrane, a method for the production thereof, an electrofiltration device or electrosorption device, and a method of electrofiltration and electrosorption using a metal coated polymer membrane. The polymer membrane is coated with metal using Atomic layer deposition (ALD).