MEMBRANES COMPRISING A LAYER OF METAL ORGANIC FRAMEWORK PARTICLES

Abstract

A filtration membrane that includes a porous substrate layer and an active layer arranged over at least a part of the substrate layer. The active layer comprises a metal-organic framework (MOF). Also disclosed are methods for of producing a filtration membrane and uses of the filtration membrane for water treatment.

Claims

1. A filtration membrane, the membrane comprising a porous substrate layer and an active layer arranged over at least a part of the substrate layer, wherein the active layer comprises a metal-organic framework (MOF).

2. A method of producing the filtration membrane, according to claim 1, wherein the membrane comprises a porous substrate layer and an active layer arranged over at least a part of the substrate layer, wherein the active layer comprises a metal-organic framework (MOF), the method comprising the steps of: a. optionally preparing the substrate b. contacting the substrate with a coating composition comprising the MOF; c. optionally, drying the membrane.

3. A filtration membrane wherein the membrane comprises a porous substrate layer and an active layer arranged over at least a part of the substrate layer, wherein the active layer comprises a metal-organic framework (MOF), wherein the filtration membrane is formed by the method of claim 2.

4. A coating composition for use in the manufacture of filtration membranes for use in gravity, pressure, or vacuum deposition, or printing of filtration membranes, the composition comprising at least one metal-organic framework material or precursor thereof.

5. The membrane of claim 1, wherein the substrate is a polymeric substrate, a ceramic substrate, a composite substrate, an inorganic-organic substrate and/or a metal substrate.

6. The membrane according to claim 5, wherein the ceramic porous substrate is formed one or more of zeolite, silicon, silica, alumina, zirconia, mullite, bentonite and montmorillonite clay substrate.

7. The membrane according to claim 5, wherein the polymeric porous substrate is formed from one or more of polyacrylonitrile (PAN), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polycarbonate (PC), polyamide (PA), polysulphone poly(ether) sulfone (PES), cellulose acetate (CA), poly(piperazine-amide), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), poly(phthalazinone ether sulfone ketone) (PPESK), polyamide-urea, poly (ether ether ketone), polypropylene, poly(phthalazinone ether ketone), and thin film composite porous films (TFC).

8. (canceled)

9. The membrane according to claim 1, wherein the porous substrate is a nanostructured ceramic porous substrate that is formed of two or more layers.

10. (canceled)

11. The membrane according to claim 1, wherein the substrate is selected from a polypropylene substrate, polytetrafluoroethylene substrate and/or a ceramic substrate.

12. (canceled)

13. The method according to claim 2, wherein the substrate has been treated prior to the addition of the coating composition to provide hydrophilic additives and/or functional groups on the membrane surface.

14. The membrane of claim 1, wherein the MOF comprises a network of secondary building units (SBUs), or metal ion core/metal subunit cluster core nodes, and organic linkers (or ligands) connecting the SBUS or nodes.

15. The membrane of claim 14, wherein the SBUs or nodes, being sub units of the MOF, comprise metal selected from one or more transition metal cations comprising one or more of Cr(III), Fe(II), Fe(III), Al(III), Co(II), Ru(III), Os(III), Hf(IV), Ni, Mn, V, Sc, Y(III), Cu(II), Cu(I), Zn(II), Zr(IV), Cd, Pb, Ba, Ag(I), Au, AuPd, Ni/Co, lanthanides, and actinides.

16. The membrane of claim 14, wherein the SBU or node is a transition-metal carboxylate cluster comprising at least one or more Zn4O(COO)6, Cu2/(COO)4, Cr3O(H2O)3/(COO)6, and Zr6O4(OH)10(H2O)6(COO)6), Mg2(OH2)2(COO), RE4(3-O)2(COO)8, RE4(3-O)2, wherein RE is Y(III), Tb(III), Dy(III), Ho(III), Er(III), and/or Yb(III).

17. (canceled)

18. The membrane of claim 14, wherein the organic linkers of the MOF are one or more carboxylate linkers; N-heterocyclic linkers; phosphonate linkers; sulphonate linkers, metallo linkers, and mixtures and derivatives thereof.

19. The membrane of claim 14, wherein the organic linkers comprise one or more ditopic carboxylate linkers comprising at least one or more of 4,4-biphenyldicarboxylate (bpdc), 2,2-dicyano-4,4-biphenyldicarboxylate (CNBPDC), 9,10-anthracenedicarboxylate (adc), 4,4-azobenzenedicarboxylate (abdc), 1,3-bis(3,5-dicarboxylphenylethynyl)benzene (bdpb), 2,2-bipyridyl-5,5-dicarboxylate (bpydc), 2,2-dihydroxy-1,1-binaphthalene-5,5-dicarboxylate (5,5-bda), 2-bromobenzene-1,4-dicarboxylate (brbdc), 1,4-benzenedicarboxylates (BDC), BDC-Br, BDC-N H2, BDC-0C3H7, BDC-0C5H11, BDC-cycC2H4, BDC-ben, 2-bromo-1,4-benzenedicarboxylate (o-Br-bdc), BDC-F, BDC-Cl, BDC-Br, BDC-I, BDC-F.sub.4, BDC-Cl.sub.4, BDC-Br.sub.4, BDC-I.sub.4, BDC-(CH3)4, 2,5-dihydroxy-1,4-benzenedicarboxylate (DHBDC), thieno[3,2-b]thiophene-2,5-dicarboxylic acid (TTDC), thiophene-2,5-dicarboxylate (tdc), di-thieno-[3,2-b;2,3-d]-thiophene-2,6-dicarboxylate (DTTDC), naphthalenedicarboxylate (NDC), 4,4-benzophenone dicarboxylate (BPNDC), 4,4-biphenyldicarboxylate (BPDC), 2,2-dicyano-4,4-biphenyldicarboxylate (CNBPDC), pyrene-2,7-dicarboxylate (PDC), p,p-terphenyldicarboxylic acid (TPDC), amino-TPDC, pyridine 2,6-dicarboxylic acid HPDC, Thiol functionalised DMBD, azide-functionalized 2,3,5,6-tetramethylbenzene-1,4-dicarboxylate (TBDC), and tetraanionic 2,5-dioxido-1,4-benzene-dicarboxylate (BOBDC/DHBDC/DOT); and/or one or more of and/or one or more tritopic carboxylate linkers comprising at least one of 1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylate (btc), biphenyl-3,4-5-tricarboxylate (bhic), 4,4,4-benzene-1,3,5-triyl-benzoate (bib), 4,4-4-(triazine-2,4,6-triyltris(benzene-4,1-diyl)tribenzoate (lapb), 4,4,4-benzene-1,3,5-triyl-benzoate, 4,4,4(benzene-1,3,5-triyltris(ethyne-2,1-diyl)tribenzoate (bte), and 4,4,4-(benzene-1,3,5-triyl-tris(benzene-4,1-diyl)tribenzoate (bbc); and/or one or more tetratopic carboxylate linkers comprising at least one of 1,1-azobenzene-3,4,5,5-tetracarboxylate (abtc), azoxybenzene-3,3,5,5-tetracarboxylate (aoblc), 4,4-bipyridine-2,6,2,6-tetracarboxylate (bpytc), 4,4,4,4-Methanetetrayllotrabenzoic acid (MTB), benzene-substituted 4,4,4,4-Methanetetrayltetrabenzoic acid MTTB, 4,4,4-tricarboxyltriphenylamine (TCA), 4,4,4,4-tetrakiscarboxyphenylsilane (TCPS), 2-thiophenecarboxylic acid (HTPCS), methanetretra(4-benzoate) (MTBA), 1,3,5,7-afamantane tetracarboxylic acid (acl), N,N,N,N-tetrakis(4-carboxyphenyl)-1,4-phenylenediamine (TCPPDA), 5,5-(1,2-ethynediyl)bis(1,3-benzenedicarboxylate) (ebdc), 3,3,5,5-biphenyltetracarboxylate (botc), 3,3,5,5-erphenyltetracarboxylate, 3,3,5,5-quaterphenyltetracarboxylate, 3,3,5,5-pentaphenyltetracarboxylate, 5,5-(9,10-anthracenediyl)diisophthalate, (adip), and 3,3,5,5-tetra-(phenyl-4-carboxylate), 9,9([1,1-biphenyl]-4,4-diyl)bis(9H-carbazole-3,6-dicarboxylate) (bbcdc); abd/or one or more hexatopic carboxylate linkers comprising at least one of 5,5,5-[1,3,5-benzenetriyltris(carbonylimino]tris-1,3-benzenedicarboxylate, 5,5,5-((benzene-1,3,5-triyl-tris(ethyne-2,1-diyl))-tris(benzene-4,1-diyl))tris(ethyne-2,1-diyl))triisophthalate (ttei), 1,3,5-tris[((1,3-carboxylic acid-5-(4(ethynyl(phenyl)ethynyl)phenyl]-benzene, 3,3,3,5,5,5-benzene-1,3,5-triyl-hexabenzoate (bhb), 4,4,4-tris(N,N-bis(4-carboxylphenyl)-amino)tripnenylamine (H6tta), 1,3,5-tris[(a,3-di(4-carboxylic acid-phenyl)-phenyl)-5-ethynyl]benzene (H6L1), tris-(4-(5-ethynyl-1,1:3,1-terphenyl-4,4-dicarboxylic acid)-phenyl)-amine](H6L2), and 1,1:31-terphenyl-4,4-dicarboxylate; and/or one or more metallo linkers comprising at least one of [FeFe]-1,4-dicarboxylibenzene-2,3-dithiolate (dcbdt), Cu(I)-1,10-phenanthroline-based linker, 5,10,15,20-Tatrakis(4-carboxyohenyl)porphyrin metalloporphrin linker (tcpp), Au(I)-4,4,4,4-(1,2-phenylenebis(phosphanetriyl))-tetrabenzoate (pbpfbc), 4,7-bis(4-carboxylphenyl)-1,3-dimethyl-benzimidazolium-tetrafluoroborate, and [(R,R)-(2)-1,2-cyclohexanediamino-N,N-bis(3-tert-butyl-5-(4-pyridyl)salicylic-dene)-Mn(III)Cl]; and/or one or more octatopic carboxylate linkers coprising at least one of 5,5,5,5-silanetetrayltetraisophthalate (L6), 1,1-binaphthyl-derived octacarboxylate linkers 2,2-diethoxy-1,1binapthyl-4,4,6,6-tetracarboxylic acid (L12) and elongated L12 (L13, wherein a CC moiety is present in each arm of L12); and/or one or more N-heterocyclic linkers comprising at least one of 2,5-bis-(2-hydroxyethoxy)-1,4-bis(4-pyridyl)benzene, 4,4-dipyridylacetylene (dpa), pyrazine, imidazolate or derivative thereof, such as 1,4-bis(imidazolyl)-benzene and 1,5-bis(imidazol-1-ylmethyl)naphthalene, imidazole (Him), 2-methylimidazole, 2-ethyl imidazole, 2-nitro imidazole, 4-isocyanoimidazole, 4,5-dichloroimidazole, imidazole-2-carbaidehyde, imidazo[4,5-b]pyridine, benzo[d]imidazole, 6-chloro-benzo[d]imidazole, 5,6-dimethyl-beno[d]imidazole, 6-methyl-benzo[d]imidazole, 6-bromo-benzo[d]imidazole, 6-nitro-benzo[d]imidazole, imidazo[4,5-c]pyridine, purine pyrazole (Hpz), 1,2,4-triazole (Htz), 1,2,3-triazole (Hta), and tetrazole (Httz), 5-chlorobenzimidazolate (cblm), 1,3,5-tris(1H-pyrazol-4-yl)benzene, 2,2-bipyridine (BIPY), 2-phenylpyridine-5,4-dibenzoate (PPY-DC), 2,2 bipyridine-5,5-dibenzoate (BPY-DC); and/or one or more phosphonate linkers comprising at least one of phosphonate-oxalate alkylphosphonic acids wherein alkyl is C1 to C10, arylphosphonate, 4-carboxyphenylphosphonic acid (4-cppHe), 1,3,5-benzenetris(phosphonic acid), tris-1,3,5-(4-phosphonophenyl)-benzene (H6L), biphenylbisphosphonate,, bipyridylphosphonates, methylphosphonates, or functionalised phosphate linkers; and/or one or more sulphonates, comprising at least one of 4-biphenylsulfonate, 2-naphthalenesulfonate, 1-napthalenesulfonate, 1-pyrenesulfonate, 1,5-naphthalenedisulfonate, 2,6-naphthalenedisulfonate, 1-naphthalene sulfonate, p-toluenesulfonate and 1,3,6,8-pyrenetetrasulfonate, 1,3,5-tris(sulfonomethyl)benzene; ,,,-durenetetrasulfonate, 1,3,5,7-tetra(4-sulfonophenyl)adamantane, 1,3,5,7-tetra(4-sulfonophenyl)adamantane, 1,3,5,7-tetra(4-sulfonophenyl)adamantane; (4,4-bis(sulfoethynyl)biphenyl; 4,4-biphenyldisulfonate, p-sulfonatocalix[4]arene, p-sulfonatocalix[5]arene, p-sulfonatocalix[6]arene, and p-sulfonalocalix[9]arene

20-27. (canceled)

28. The membrane of claim 14, wherein the organic linkers comprise one or more of 9,10-anthracenedicarboxylic acid, biphenyl-3,3,5,5-tetracarboxylic acid, biphenyl-3,4,5-tricarboxylic acid, 5-bromoisophthalic acid, 5-cyano-1,3-benzenedicarboxylic acid, 2,2-diamino-4,4-stilbenedicarboxylic acid, 2,5-diaminoterephthalic acid, 2,2-dinitro-4,4-stilbenedicarboxylic acid, 5-ethynyl, 1,3-benzenedicarboxlic acid, 2-hydroxyterephthalic acid, 3,3,5,5-azobenzene tetracarboxylic acid, [1,1-biphenyl]-4,4-dicarboxylic acid, 2,5-dihydroxyterephthalic acid, 2,6-naphthalenedicarboxylic acid, 1,4-phenylenediacetic acid, 1,1,2,2-tetra(4-carboxylphenyl)ethylene, 1,3,5-tricarboxybenzene, 1,3,5-tris(4-carboxyphenyl)benzene, 1,4-di(4-pyrazolyl)benzene, 1,4,7,10-teraazaacyclododecane-N,N,N,N-tetraacetic acid, 2,4,6-(tri-4-pyridinyl)-1,3,5-triazine, tris(isobutylaminoethyl)amine, and 2-(diphenylphosphino)terephthalic acid.

29. (canceled)

30. The membrane of claim 1, wherein the MOF is in the form of porous flakes or particles.

31. (canceled)

32. The membrane of claim 1, wherein the MOF comprises a functional group selected from one or more of NH.sub.2, Br, Cl, I, (CH.sub.2).sub.nCH.sub.3 wherein n is 1 to 10, such as CH.sub.3CH.sub.2CH.sub.2O, CH.sub.3CH.sub.2CH.sub.2CH.sub.2O, ben-C.sub.4H.sub.4, methyl, COON, OH, for example, the MOF may be an IRMOF, and/or a CAU, and/or MIL-125-NH2; and/or UiO-66(Zr)(CH3)2.

33. The membrane of claim 1, wherein the MOF is selected from one or more of Zr-DUT-51, Hf-DUT-51, PCN-777, NU-1105, DUT-52, DUT-53, DUT-84, DUT-67, DUT-68, DUT-69, DUT-6, such as MIL-125 (Fe, Cr, Al, V), MIL-53 (Fe, Cr, Al, V), MIL-47(Fe, Cr, Al, V), UAM-150, UAM-151, UAM-152, Zr(O3PC12H8PO3), Zr Bipyridylphosphonates, Zr Methylphosphonates, Sn(IV) Bipyridylphosphonates, Sn(IV) Methylphosphonates, [Ag(4-biphenylsulfonate)], [Ag(2-naphthalenesulfonate)], [Ag(H2O)0.5(1-naphthalenesulfonate)], [Ag(1-naphthalenesulfonate)] and [Ag(1-pyrenesulfonate)], UO.sub.2(O.sub.3PC.sub.6H.sub.5).sub.30.7H.sub.2O, (UO.sub.2).sub.3(HOPC.sub.6H.sub.5).sub.2(O.sub.3PC.sub.6H.sub.5).sub.2(O.sub.3PC.sub.6H.sub.5).sub.23H.sub.2O, SAT-16, SAT-12 (Mn.sup.2+, Fe.sup.2+, Co.sup.2+, Ni.sup.2+), MIL-91 (Al.sup.3+, Fe.sup.3+, In.sup.3+, V.sup.3+), STA-13 (Y.sup.3+, Sc.sup.3+, Yb.sup.3+, Dy.sup.3+), VSN-3 (with CH.sub.2 units ranging from 1 to 10) , VSB-4 (with CH.sub.2 units ranging from 1 to 10), ZIF-95, ZIF-100, M.sub.3(btp).sub.2 (M=Ni, Cu, Zn, and Co; H3btp=1,3,5-tris(1H-pyrazol-4-yl)benzene), IRMOF-76, 1RMOF-77, PCM-18, MOF-1040, MOF-253_0.08PdCl.sub.2, MOF-253_0.83PdCl.sub.2, MOF-253_0.97Cu(BF4).sub.2, NOTT-115, UMCM-150, UMCM-154, MOF-5, FJI-1, MOF-100, MOF-177, MOF-210, UMCM-1, UMCM-2, UMCM-3, UMCM-4, UMCM-8, UMCM-9, MTV-MOF-5, L6-L11; PCN-80, UNLPF-1, NOTT-140, UTSA-34a, UTSA-34b, MODF-1, SDU-1, NPG-5, UTSA-20, NU-100, NU-110E, PCN-61, PCN-66, PCN-69, PCN-610, DUT-49, PCN-88, NOTT-300, NOTT-202, NOTT-104, PCN-46, PCN-14, NOTT-100, NOTT-101, NOTT-103, NOTT-109, NOTT-111, ZSA-1, ZSA-2, NOTT-12, NOTT-16, POMF-Cu ([Cu.sub.24L.sub.8(H.sub.2O).sub.24], MIL-59, PCN-12, PCN-12, DUT-75, DUT-76, PCN-16, PCN-16, PCN-511, IMP-11, PCN-512, IMP-9, MOF-11, MOF-36, Hf-PCN-523, PCN-521, MOF-177, MOF-180, MOF-200, SNU-150, MOF-14, MOF-143, MOF-388, MOF-399, UiO-88, MOF-1001, IRMOF-62, MOF-101, IRMOF-74, CAU-10-0H, CAU-10-NH.sub.2, CAU-10-H, CAU-10-CH.sub.3, CAU-10, CALF-25, Zn-DMOF, Co-DMOF, DUT-4, SAPO-34, SBA-15, HZSM-5, MCM-41, KIT-1, MCM-48, Zn-MOF-74, Ni-MOF-74, Mg-MOF-74, PCN-228, PCN-229, PCN-230, MOF-808, MIL-160, MIL-163, FJI-H6, [Zr6O4(OH)4(btba)3](DMF)x(H2O)y, wherein x is 0 to <20 and y is 0 to <20, FJI-H7, lanthanide element-based [La(pyzdc)1.5(H2O)2]2H20, [Dy(Cmdcp)(H2O)3](NO3)2H2O)n, [Eu(HL)(H2O)2]n2H2O, [Tb-DSOA, [Tb(L)(OH)]x(slov), (rib(L1)1.5(H2O)]3H2O, In-based JLU-Liu18, Al-based MIL-121, MAF-6, MAF-7, MAF-49, MAF-X8, [Zn12(trz)20][SiW12O40]11H2O, Zn2TCS(44-bipy), Zn-pbdc-11a(bpe)/-12a(bpe)/-12a(bpy), Zn(IM)1.5(abIM)0.5, ([Zn(C10H2O8)0.5(C10S2N2H8)]5H2O))n, Co/Zn-BTTBBPY, PCN-601, Mg-CUK-1, [Cd2(TBA)2(bipy)(DMA)2], Cu6(trz)10(H20)4[H2SiW12O40)8H2O, [Ni(BPEB)], [Eu3(bpydb)3(HCOO)(u3-OH)2(DMF)](DMF)3(H2O)2, MAF-X25, MAF-X27, MAF-X25ox, MAF-27ox, PCN-101, NH2-MIL-125(Ti), Cu(1)-MOF, AEMOF-1, PCN-222, Cd-EDDA, [Cd2L2]NMPMEOH, Eu/UiO-66-(COOH)2, Eu/CPM-17-Zn, Eu/MIL-53-COOH(Al), [Ln(HL)(H2O)2]n2H2O, Eu3+@MIL-124, ([Tb(L1)1.5(H2O)]3H2O)n, [Tb(1)(OH)]x(solv), bio-MOF-1, BFMOF-1, NENU-500, Co-ZIF-9, Al2(OH)2TCPP-Co, Al-MIL-101-NH-Gly-Pro, UiO-66-CAT, Pt/UiO-66, HPW@MIL-101, POM-ionic-liquid-functionalized MIL-100, sulphated MIL-53, MIL-101(Cr)-NO2, NENU-1/12-tungstosilicic acid, Na-HPAA, PCMOF-10, Ca-PiPhtA, (NH4)2(adp)[Zn2(ox)3]3H2O, ([Zn(C10H2O8)0.5(C10S2N2H8)]5H2O])n, ([(Me2NH2]3(SO4))2[Zn2(ox)3])n, UiO-66-(SO3H)2, Tb-DSOA, [La3L4(H2O)6]ClxH2O, CALF-25, (Cu212)[Cu2PDC2-(H2O)2]2[Cu(MeCN)4]IDMF, (Cu4I4)[Cu2PDC2-(H2O)2]4DMF, (Cu212)[Cu3PDC3-(H2O)2]2MeCN)2DMF, ZIF-1, ZIF-3, ZIF-4, ZIF-6, ZIF-10, ZIF-11, ZIF-12, ZIF-14, ZIF-20, ZIF-22, ZIF-9-67, ZIF-60, ZIF-67, ZIF-68, ZIF-69, ZIF-74, ZIF-76, ZIF-77, ZIF-78, ZIF-79, ZIF-80, ZIF-81, ZIF-82, ZIF-90, ZIF-95, ZIF-100, UiO-68, MOF-801, MOF-841, [Co4L3(u3-OH)(H2O)3](SO4)0.5, MOF-802, Cu-BTTri, PCN-426, MOF-545, Zn(1,3-BDP), [(CH3)2NH2]2[Eu6(u3-OH)8(1,4-NCD)6(H2O)6], NiDOBDC, Al(OH)(2,6-ndc) (ndc is naphthalendicarboxylate), MOF-525, MOF-535.

34. The membrane of claim 1, wherein the MOF is selected from one or more of zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIFs), suitably a ZIF formed from a metal salt of Zn, Co, Cd, Li, or B, with an imidazole based linker.

35. The membrane according to claim 34, wherein the ZIF is formed of repeating units of (M-Im-M), wherein M is Zn or Co, and Im is imidazole or a derivative thereof which bridges the metal units.

36. The membrane according to claim 35, wherein the imidazole or its derivative unit is selected from one or more of imidazole (ZIF-4 linker), 2-methylimidazole (ZIF 8 linker), 2-ethyl imidazole, 2-nitro imidazole, 4-isocyanoimidazole, 4,5-dichloroimidazole, imidazole-2-carbaldehyde, imidazo[4,5-b]pyridine, benzo[d]imidazole, 6-chloro-benzo[d]imidazole, 5,6-dimethyl-benzo[d]imidazole, 6-methyl-benzo[d]imidazole, 6-bromo-benzo[d]imidazole, 6-nitro-benzo[d]imidazole, and imidazo[4,5-c]pyridine, purine.

37. The membrane of claim 1, wherein the MOF is selected from one or more UiO MOFs.

38. The membrane of claim 37, wherein the UiO MOF is zirconium 1,4-dicarboxybenzne MOF (UiO 66).

39. The membrane of claim 1, wherein the MOF is selected from one or more of MOF-74, Cu-BTTri, MIL-53 (Al), MIL-101(Cr), PCN-426-Cr(III), [(CH3)2NH2]2[Eu6(u3-OH)8(1,4-NCD)6(H2O)6], Zn(1,3-BDP), MOF-808, DUT-69, DUT-67, DUT-68, PCN-230, PCN-222, MOF-545, MOF-802, and HKUST-1

40. (canceled)

41. The membrane of claim 1, wherein the MOF is hydrophobic, and/or wherein the MOF is a zirconium based MOF; and/or wherein the MOF comprises functional groups sleected from on or more of amine, aldehyde, alkynes, and/or azide; and/or wherein the MOF is UiO-66-NH2 and/or the MOF is sulfone group-contiaining iso IRMOF-16.

42-45. (canceled)

46. The membrane of claim 1, wherein the coating composition comprises MOF precursors.

47. The membrane of claim 1, wherein the coating composition comprises, or is formed from a metal salt, comprising one or more of an aluminium salt, ammonium salt, antimony salt, arsenic salt, barium salt, beryllium salt, bismuth salt, cadmium salt, calcium salt, cerium salt, cesium salt, chromium salt, cobalt salt, copper salt, dysprosium salt, erbium salt, europium salt, gadolinium salt, gallium salt, germanium salt, gold salt, hafnium salt, holmium salt, indium salt, iridium salt, iron salt, lanthanum salt, lead salt, lithium salt, lutetium salt, magnesium salt, manganese salt, mercury salt, molybdenum salt, neodymium salt, nickel salt, niobium salt, osmium salt, palladium salt, platinum salt, potassium sal, praseodymium salt, rhenium salt, rhodium salt, rubidium salt, ruthenium salt, samarium salt, scandium salt, selenium salt, silver salt, sodium salt, strontium salt, sulfur salt, tantalum salt, tellurium salt, terbium salt, thallium salt, thorium salt, thulium salt, tin salt, titanium salt, tungsten salt, vanadium salt, ytterbium salt, yttrium salt, zinc salt, and zirconium salt.

48. The membrane of claim 46, wherein the precursor comprises an organic ligand precursor comprising one or more of the organic linkers comprising carboxylate linkers; N-heterocyclic, linkers, phosphonate linkers; sulphonate linkers, metallo linkers, and mixtures and derivatives thereof.

49. The membrane of claim 3, wherein the MOF is dispersed or suspended in a carrier in the coating composition.

50. The membrane of claim 49, wherein the liquid carrier is selected from one or more of water, ethanol, propanol, glycol, tertiary butanol, acetone, dimethyl sulfoxide, mixture of dimethyl sulfoxide/alcohol/glycol, water/alcohol/glycol, glycol/water/tertiary butanol, water/acetone mixtures, water/ethanol mixtures, N,N-dimethylformamide, N,N-diethylformamide, dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO), ethylene glycol (EG), N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, isopropyl alcohol, mineral oil, dimethylformamide, terpineol, ethylene glycol, or mixtures thereof.

51. The method of claim 2, wherein the method comprises pressure deposition, gravity deposition or vacuum deposition of the coating composition comprising one or more MOFs.

52. (canceled)

53. The membrane of claim 3, wherein the substrate is a polymeric substrate selected from one or more of polyamide (PA), polysulphone (PSf), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), polycarbonate (PC), cellulose acetate (CA), tricellulose acetate (TCA), and thin film composites (TFC), wherein substrate is a ceramic substrate selected from one or more of zeolite, titanium oxide, alumina, zirconia.

54. (canceled)

55. (canceled)

56. The membrane of claim 2, wherein the method comprises printing the coating composition comprising the MOF onto the substrate.

57. The method of claim 56, wherein the substrate is a porous polymeric film and/or wherein the substrate is selected from one or more of polyamide (PA), polysulphone (PSI), polycarbonate (PC), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), cellulose acetate (CA), tricellulose acetate (TCA) and thin film composites (TFC).

58-60. (canceled)

61. The membrane of claim 1, wherein the membrane is for water treatment, molecule separation, protein separation, contaminates adsorption, pharmaceutical filtration for removal of pharmaceutical residues in the aquatic environment; biofiltration, desalination or selective ion filtration; and nuclear waste water filtration for removal of nuclear radioactive elements from nuclear waste water; for blood treatment and/or separation of bio-platform molecules derived from sources such as plants, for example a grass, or for pharmaceutical filtration, or for dye removal.

62. (canceled)

Description

EXAMPLES

Example 1

[0166] 1 kg of MOF-525 particles was dispersed in dimethylformamide by adding surfactant and mechanically stirred at 1500 rpm. The mixture was then filtered by a filter having 500 nm pore size. The dispersion was then diluted to a concentration of 0.5 mg/ml for coating. The obtained coating composition was then applied to a polysulphone substrate which had been surface treated with UV-ozone for 20 min, using a Pixdro LP50 equipped with Xaar 1002 head assembly. Ethanol was then sprayed to rinse the residual solvent. Following drying under ambient conditions, the performance of the resultant membrane was assessed and found to exhibit improvement of multi-valent ions rejection rate to 90% in comparison to an uncoated membrane.

Example 2

[0167] 1 kg MOF-525 particles was dispersed in dimethylformamide by adding surfactant and mechanically stirred at 1500 rpm. The mixture was then filtered by a filter having 500 nm pore size. The dispersion was then diluted to a concentration of 0.5 mg/ml for coating. The obtained coating composition was then applied to a polysulphone substrate which was surface treated with UV-ozone for 20 min, using vacuum deposition method. Following drying under ambient conditions, the performance of the resultant membrane was then assessed and found to exhibit improvement of multi-valent ions rejection rate to 90% in comparison to an uncoated membrane.

Example 3

[0168] A HKUST-1 ink was prepared by dissolving 41 Cu(NO3)23H2O in DMSO with H3BTC, and mixed with 9 l ethanol and 6 l ethylene glycol. A porous polyamide substrate was treated with ozone for 20 min. Inkjet printing with the ink was carried out using a commercial HP 2630 deskjet on the treated polyamide substrate. After inkjet printing, the sample was transferred to an oven with temperature of 80 C. for 3 min. Three printing and drying cycles were carried out to reach the desired thickness of MOF HKUST-1 coating. The performance of the resultant membrane was then assessed and found to exhibit improvement of multi-valent ions rejection rate to 85% in comparison to an uncoated membrane.

Example 4

[0169] A HKUST-1 coating composition was prepared by dissolving 41 Cu(NO3)23H2O in DMSO with H3BTC, and mixed with 9 l ethanol and 6 l ethylene glycol. A porous polyamide substrate was treated with ozone for 20 min. Vacuum deposition with the coating composition was carried out on the treated polyamide substrate. After vacuum deposition, the sample was transferred to an oven with temperature of 80 C. for 3 min. The performance of the resultant membrane was then assessed and found to exhibit improvement of multi-valent ions rejection rate to 80% in comparison to an uncoated membrane.

[0170] Attention is directed to all papers and documents which are filed concurrently with or previous to this specification in connection with this application and which are open to public inspection with this specification, and the contents of all such papers and documents are incorporated herein by reference.

[0171] All of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), and/or all of the steps of any method or process so disclosed, may be combined in any combination, except combinations where at least some of such features and/or steps are mutually exclusive.

[0172] Each feature disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings) may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar features.

[0173] The invention is not restricted to the details of the foregoing embodiment(s). The invention extends to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), or to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the steps of any method or process so disclosed.