Nagare Membranes, LLC

Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC

Nanoasis Technologies, Inc.

Nanoasis

Jason K Holt

Timothy V Ratto

Alan Szmodis

Olgica Bakajin

Aleksandr Noy

Hyung Gyu Park

Sangil Kim

Francesco Fornasiero

Alan W Szmodis

This invention relates to heterogenous pore polymer nanotube membranes useful in filtration, such as reverse osmosis desalination, nanofiltration, ultrafiltration and gas separation.

Asymmetric nanotube containing membranes

Provided herein composition and methods for nanoporous membranes comprising single walled, double walled, or multi-walled carbon nanotubes embedded in a matrix material. Average pore size of the carbon nanotube can be 6 nm or less. These membranes are a robust platform for the study of confined molecular transport, with applications in liquid and gas separations and chemical sensing including desalination, dialysis, and fabric formation.

Membranes with functionalized carbon nanotube pores for selective transport

Nanoporous membranes comprising single walled, double walled, and multiwalled carbon nanotubes embedded in a matrix material were fabricated for fluid mechanics and mass transfer studies on the nanometer scale and commercial applications. Average pore size can be 2 nm to 20 nm, or seven nm or less, or two nanometers or less. The membrane can be free of large voids spanning the membrane such that transport of material such as gas or liquid occurs exclusively through the tubes. Fast fluid, vapor, and liquid transport are observed. Versatile micromachining methods can be used for membrane fabrication. A single chip can comprise multiple membranes. These membranes are a robust platform for the study of confined molecular transport, with applications in liquid and gas separations and chemical sensing including desalination, dialysis, and fabric formation.

Membranes for nanometer-scale mass fast transport

Membranes for filtration by size exclusion are formed from open-ended nanotubes embedded in a polymeric matrix. The matrix forms a layer whose thickness is substantially less than the average length of the nanotubes, allowing the nanotubes to be randomly oriented throughout the matrix while providing channels extending through the layer for the selective passage of molecular species or particles based on size.

Membranes with embedded nanotubes for selective permeability

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Berkeley, CA, United States of America

Jason K Holt