Filter media having a relatively small pore size and related components, systems, and methods associated therewith are provided. The filter media may include a fibrous efficiency layer, a fibrous support layer, and a third layer adjacent to the efficiency layer. The efficiency layer may impart a relatively homogeneous pore structure to the filter media without adding substantial bulk to the filter media. The support layer may promote the homogeneity of the pore structure. For example, the support layer may prevent and/or minimize defects in the relatively thin efficiency layer that may result from manufacturing and/or processing. The third layer may serve to impart beneficial filtration (e.g., efficiency, dust holding capacity) and/or non-filtration (e.g., layer protection) properties to the filter media without adversely affecting one or more properties of the filter media. Filter media, as described herein, may be particularly well-suited for applications that involve liquid filtration, amongst other applications.

A nanofiber membrane includes a polymer nanofiber; and an amphiphilic triblock copolymer bonded to the surface of the polymer nanofiber, the amphiphilic triblock copolymer includes a hydrophobic portion; hydrophilic portions positioned at both ends of the hydrophobic portion; and a low surface energy portion positioned at one end of each of the hydrophilic portions positioned at both ends of the hydrophobic portion, and the hydrophobic portion of the amphiphilic triblock copolymer is bonded to the surface of the polymer nanofiber and the hydrophilic portion and the low surface energy portion are exposed to the outside of the surface of the polymer nanofiber. The membrane simultaneously exhibits hydrophilicity, underwater oleophobicity, and low oil adhesion force, thus has surface segregation properties, and as a result, has an excellent oil permeate flux, exhibits antifouling properties, and can excellently separate oil in water.

A composite molecular sieve membrane, preparation method and use thereof are provided in the embodiments. The composite molecular sieve membrane includes a support layer and a molecular sieve membrane layer, wherein the support layer is a high-porosity and porous ceramic which is made of nano- or submicron ceramic powder materials or ceramic material precursors prepared through an electrospinning process. The high-porosity and porous ceramic, is adjustable from 40% to 83%. The composite molecular sieve membrane of the embodiments uses the porous ceramic prepared through an electrospinning process as the support layer, and the support layer has a flat and continuous surface, high porosity, uniform and adjustable pore sizes, low-tortuosity pore channels, and high mechanical strength; the flux of the composite molecular sieve membrane is increased, besides, the seed crystals can attach effectively due to the fibrous pore channels of the support layer, ensuring the adhesion amount of seed crystals.

A flexible electrocatalytic membrane for removing nitrate from water, a preparation method and use thereof are provided. The method of the present invention includes dropwise adding an aramid fiber solution into deionized water to prepare an aramid nanofiber sol, then reacting an ethanol solution containing 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene and ferric nitrate with the aramid nanofiber sol to prepare a conductive aramid nanofiber sol, and finally dropwise adding MXene nanosheets ultrasonically pretreated by a tetramethylammonium hydroxide solution into the conductive aramid nanofiber sol to prepare the flexible electrocatalytic membrane. The prepared flexible electrocatalytic membrane possesses good mechanical strength and flexibility, and can not only effectively remove nitrate but also avoid failure of electrocatalytic materials due to surface fouling in the process of electrocatalytic reduction of nitrate, and thus has a long service life.

The present invention relates to an ion-selective composite membrane having a thickness of between 4 μm and 100 μm, comprising at least one inner layer disposed between two outer layers, wherein: —the outer layers are each formed of a first material comprising a network of nanofibres and/or crosslinked microfibres and pores with a diameter of between 10 nm and 10 μm, —the inner layer is formed of a second material comprising nanoparticles functionalized at the surface by charged groups and/or groups which become charged in the presence of water and having pores with a diameter of between 1 and 100 nm.

A process for the preparation of a filtration membrane, which includes providing an aqueous suspension of vesicles having transmembrane proteins incorporated therein, the vesicles being formed from an amphiphilic block copolymer having reactive end groups; providing a porous support; functionalizing a surface of the porous support to introduce reactive groups on the surface which are capable of reacting with the reactive end groups of the amphiphilic block copolymers of the vesicles; depositing said suspension of vesicles on a surface of the porous support; and providing reaction conditions such that covalent bonds are formed between the vesicles and the surface.

The present invention provides compositions of soy protein gel fibers, soy protein fiber membranes, and soy protein films. The present invention also provides methods of making the soy protein compositions and also uses of the compositions.

A filter assembly including a filtration medium comprising a nanofiber, having a three-dimensional network structure, and having a fiber web layer comprising a hydrophilic coating layer that covers at least a part of the outer surface of the nanofiber; and a first support body that supports the filtration medium, which is provided on both surfaces thereof, and has a channel formed therein. Accordingly, the filtration medium has excellent chemical resistance and improved hydrophilicity such that the flow rate can increase substantially. In addition, the improved hydrophilicity is maintained for a long period of time such that the utilization period can be extended substantially. Furthermore, any change in the pore structure of the filtration medium during the hydrophilicity endowing process is minimized such that the initially designed physical characteristics of the filtration medium can be fully exhibited.

A hybrid membrane, particularly of polyacrylonitrile (PAN)/graphene oxide (GO)/SiO.sub.2, separates oil and water even from emulsions. The membrane can be made by one-step electrospinning, adding GO and SiO.sub.2 nanofillers in PAN in various concentrations. The nanofillers may be uniformly embedded in the nanofibrous structure of the electrospun hybrid membrane, with GO mainly embedded inside the PAN nanofibers and may cause knots, and/or SiO.sub.2 nanoparticles embedded on the nanofiber surface and may form micro-nano fiber surface protrusions. Hierarchical structures formed can have enhanced hydrophilicity due to oxygen-containing groups on both SiO.sub.2 and GO, and have >99% oil rejection from oil-water emulsions. Separation flux and phase rejection of gravity separation may be enhanced by incorporation of nanofillers, which may also enhance membrane mechanical properties. Separated water flux may be enhanced from 2600 (pure PAN) to 3151 Lm.sup.−2h.sup.−1 for the hybrid.

A water filtration membrane is provided, capable of removing heavy metal ions, filtering out particulates, filtering out bacteria, as well as removing herbicides and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from water. The membrane is composed of a mat of randomly oriented nanoparticle-coated nanofibers. The nanofibers are covalently bonded to a plurality of substantially uniformly-distributed ceramic nanoparticles embedded in or adhered on the surface of the polymer nanofibers through reactive functional groups. The ceramic nanoparticles have a pattern of deep grooves formed on the nanoparticle surfaces. The bonding of the nanoparticles to the nanofibers is sufficient to retain the nanoparticles on the nanofiber surfaces when water flows through the water filtration membrane. The diameter of the nanofibers is 50-200 nm. The size of the nanoparticles is <40 nm, with a zeta potential of −40 to −45 mV in a dispersion medium. The nanoparticle deep grooves have an average size of approximately 1.2 nm or less.