A device for removing ions from a solution. The device includes first and second end plates, an anion exchange membrane positioned between the first and second end plates, a first multiple of two or more first cation intercalation electrodes positioned between the first end plate and the anion exchange membrane, and one or more second intercalation electrodes positioned between the second end plate and the anion exchange membrane. The first multiple of two or more first cation intercalation electrodes and the one or more second intercalation electrodes are configured to receive an electric bias of current or voltage such that the first multiple of two or more first cation intercalation electrodes and the one or more second intercalation electrodes store and release ions from the solution.

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).

The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for electrically conductive membrane separation from a mixture solution via membrane nanofiltration, electro-filtration, or electro-extraction by: generating an electric field at the membrane filter, holding the membrane filter at a constant electric potential, or driving a constant current through the membrane filter; feeding a mixture solution through the membrane nanofiltration system; and separating a component from the mixture solution into a permeate solution.

A method for preparation of conductive polymer/carbon nanotube (CNT) composite nanofiltration (NF) membrane and the use thereof. This conductive polymer/CNT composite NF membrane is obtained by polymerizing conductive polymer into a CNT membrane and then in-situ cross-linking with glutaraldehyde under acidic condition. The synthetic method for the conductive polymer/CNT composite NF membrane is simple and has no need of expensive equipment. The prepared membrane has controllable membrane structure and possesses superior electrical conductivity and electrochemical stability. The membrane can couple with electrochemistry for electrically assisted filtration. With the electrical assistance, the membrane can achieve improved ion rejection performance while retaining high permeability by enhancement of membrane surface charge density, which alleviates the permeability-selectivity trade-off. Furthermore, the electrically assisted NF membrane filtration can also enhance the removal for small molecular organic pollutants.

A technology that provides various modular biomimetic microfluidic modules emulating varieties of microvasculature in body. These microfluidic-base capillaries and lymphatic Technology modules are constructed as multilayered-microfluidic microchannels of various shapes, and aspect ratios using diverse biocompatible microfluidic polymers. Then, various semipermeable membranes are sandwiched in between these multilayered microfluidic microchannels. These membranes have different chemical, physical characteristics and MWCO values. Consequently, this design will produce much smaller dimension channels similar to human vasculature to achieve biomimetic properties like of human organs and tissues. By interchanging microfluidic-layers or the membranes various diverse modules are designed that act as building blocks for constructing various medical devices, various forms of dialysis devices including albumin and lipid dialysis, water purification, bioreactors, bio-artificial organ support systems. Connecting various modules in diverse combinations, permutations, in parallel and/or in series to ultimately design many unrelated medical devices such as dialysis, bioreactors and organ support devices.

Devices and methods for electric field driven on-demand separation of liquid-liquid mixtures are provided. For example, methods for separating liquid-liquid mixtures, such as free oil and water, oil-in-water emulsions and water-in-oil emulsions, are provided that have separation efficiencies up to about 99.9%. The liquid-liquid mixture is contacted with a separator membrane assembly comprising a separator membrane formed of a porous oleophobic (or superoleophobic) material and an electrically conductive member. An electrical potential is applied across the porous oleophobic (or superoleophobic) material of the separator membrane to facilitate passage and separation of at least a portion of the first component through the separator membrane. Separation devices and such separator membrane assemblies are also provided.

A system and method provide improved ultrafiltration of charged/uncharged solutes in a fluid, especially a body fluid. The improvement is achieved through imposed electric field and/or surface charge patterning to a permeable membrane. In many of the embodiments, at least one selected material is used as an additive on a permeate side of the permeable membrane to reduce the sieving coefficient of the membrane with regard to a solute present in the fluid.

The present disclosure relates to methods for producing large scale nanostructured material comprising carbon nanotubes. Therefore, there is disclosed a method for making nanostructured materials comprising depositing carbon nanotubes onto at least one substrate via a deposition station, wherein depositing comprises transporting molecules to the substrate from a deposition fluid, such as liquid or gas. By using a substrate that is permeable to the carrier fluid, and allowing the carrier fluid to flow through the substrate by differential pressure filtration, a nanostructured material can be formed on the substrate, which may be removed, or may act as a part of the final component.

A technology that provides various modular biomimetic microfluidic modules emulating varieties of microvasculature in body. These microfluidic-base capillaries and lymphatic Technology modules are constructed as multilayered-microfluidic microchannels of various shapes, and aspect ratios using diverse biocompatible microfluidic polymers. Then, various semipermeable membranes are sandwiched in between these multilayered microfluidic microchannels. These membranes have different chemical, physical characteristics and MWCO values. Consequently, this design will produce much smaller dimension channels similar to human vasculature to achieve biomimetic properties like of human organs and tissues. By interchanging microfluidic-layers or the membranes various diverse modules are designed that act as building blocks for constructing various medical devices, various forms of dialysis devices including albumin and lipid dialysis, water purification, bioreactors, bio-artificial organ support systems. Connecting various modules in diverse combinations, permutations, in parallel and/or in series to ultimately design many unrelated medical devices such as dialysis, bioreactors and organ support devices.

A device for decomplexation and enhanced removal of copper based on self-induced Fenton-like reaction constructed by electrochemistry coupled with membrane separation is disclosed. The device includes a reactor, two electrocatalytic anodes capable of generating hydroxyl radicals, an electrocatalytic cathode membrane assembly, a direct current power supply, an aeration system, an inlet pipe and an outlet pipe. The device of the present invention has a simple construction. Using this device to treat industrial wastewater containing copper complexes under specific conditions allows the decomplexation and the removal of the industrial wastewater containing the copper complexes to be simultaneously realized at a low consumption and a high efficiency. The coupling of electrochemistry with membrane separation can be achieved to protect the cathode from being contaminated by pollutants in the sewage and prolong the service life of the electrode.