The present invention aims to improve the separation selectivity for light gases such as hydrogen and helium. The gas separation membrane according to the present invention includes a porous support layer and a separation functional layer containing a cross-linked polyamide and laid on the porous support layer, wherein: the separation functional layer has a protuberance structure containing a plurality of protrusions and recesses; randomly selected 20 of the protrusions on the surface of the separation functional layer indented under a load of 3 nN and observed in pure water at 25° C. by atomic force microscopy give an average deformation of 5.0 nm or more and 10.0 nm or less; and they give a standard deviation of the deformation of 5.0 nm or less.

The present invention concerns a device for producing electrical energy, comprising: a) a first reservoir A for receiving an electrolyte solution having a concentration CA of a solute and comprising an electrode (30A) in contact with the electrolyte solution having concentration CA; b) a second reservoir B for receiving an electrolyte solution having a concentration CB of one and the same solute, CB being lower than CA, and comprising an electrode in contact with the electrolyte solution having concentration CB; c) a membrane separating the two reservoirs, said membrane comprising pores allowing the electrolytes to diffuse from reservoir A to reservoir B through said pore or pores; and d) a device capable of supplying the electrical energy generated by the potential difference existing between the two electrodes, characterized in that the membrane comprises at least one layer formed of a cellulosic material comprising a network of crosslinked cellulose nanofibres and/or microfibres.

Disclosed is the preparation of composite fluid separation membranes based on poly (aryl ether ketone) (PAEK) polymers with the separation layer formed by a layer-by-layer reticular synthesis. The porous PAEK substrate is semicrystalline, exhibits a mesoporous surface structure, and is surface functionalized. The separation layer formed by the hierarchical layer-by-layer process is in the form of a covalent organic network integrally linked via covalent bonds to the functional groups of the substrate. The composite separation layer may be synthesized in situ in a preformed separation device on the surface of the PAEK substrate. Device configurations include flat sheet, spiral wound, monolith, and hollow fiber configurations with the hollow fiber configuration being preferred. Hollow fibers are formed from PAEK polymers with poly (ether ether ketone) and poly (ether ketone) particularly preferred. Composite PAEK membranes of the present invention are useful for a broad range of fluid separation applications.

Provided are composite articles having a membrane and a porous substrate, where the porous substrate has the membrane disposed thereon. The membrane has two layers, where the first layer has the second layer disposed thereon, and each layer has a plurality of polymer chains with a plurality of silicon-oxygen groups and a plurality of silicon-carbon groups. The first layer has a silicon to oxygen ratio of about 4:1 to about 1:1.25 and a silicon to carbon ratio of about 1:2 to about 1:10, and the second layer has a silicon to oxygen ratio of about 1:1 to about 1:2 and a silicon to carbon ratio of about 2:1 to about 10:1. At least a portion of the polymer chains of the second layer am crosslinked. The composite articles may be used in gas separation methods. Also provided are methods of making the composite articles and devices utilizing the composite articles.

An extracorporeal blood treatment module includes a plurality of gas transfer units, having a first polymer layer with a plurality of gas channels, a second polymer layer with a plurality of blood channels, and a gas permeable membrane disposed between the plurality of gas channels and the plurality of blood channels, a fluid transfer unit integrated with the plurality of gas transfer units, and including a third polymer layer having a plurality of fluid collection channels, a fourth polymer layer having a plurality of blood channels, and a fluid permeable membrane disposed between the plurality of fluid collection channels and the plurality of blood channels, and a housing containing the plurality of gas transfer units and fluid transfer unit.

The disclosure provides a porous polymeric membrane having ionizable nitrogen functional groups at least at its surface, wherein such groups are associated with a hydroxide anion. The membranes are useful in the purification of polar solvents such as water and alcohols and are capable of removing trace amounts of anionic contaminants such as halides, phosphates, nitrates, nitrites, sulfites, and sulfates.

The invention relates to methods for the synthesis of a thin-film composite membrane, comprising the following steps: a) providing an ultrafiltration porous support membrane, coated at the outer surface with a thin film, synthesized through interfacial polymerisation or interfacial initiation of polymerisation, b) contacting the membrane with a first solution comprising a first monomer, and allowing the solution to impregnate inside the thin film of the membrane, c) discarding the first solution comprising the first monomer, d) contacting the membrane with a second solution comprising a second monomer, and allowing the solution to impregnate inside the thin film of membrane, whereby the second monomer reacts with the first monomer and optionally with reactive groups of the thin film, e) discarding the second solution comprising the second monomer.

Provided herein are gas permeable membranes comprising an amine-containing selective layer on top of a gas permeable polymer support as well as methods of making and using thereof. The membranes are useful for the separation of CO.sub.2 from N.sub.2-containing gases.

Provided are a polymer having a constituent component represented by formula (I) below, a method for producing the polymer, a diamine compound suitable as a raw material for the polymer, a gas separation membrane haying a gas separation layer including the polymer, and a gas separation module and a gas separation apparatus that have the gas separation membrane.

##STR00001##

In the formula (I), R.sup.A, R.sup.B, and R.sup.C represent a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, or a halogen atom. Herein, at least one of R.sup.A, R.sup.B, or R.sup.C represents an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms or a halogen atom. The alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms is not trifluoromethyl and ** represents linking sites.

Provided are certain composite membranes useful for removing various impurities from liquids. In certain aspects, the composite membranes comprise a hydrophobic polymer having a polyamide coated thereon, and in other aspects, such composite membranes having certain acrylic polymers coated thereon. The composite membranes are useful in the removal of various impurities in liquids, such as those encountered in industrial and life sciences processes.