Medical University of South Carolina

Gas Technology Institute

University of Colorado

University of Louisville Research Foundation, Inc

Gas Technology Limited

Miao Yu

Shiguang Li

Shaojun Zhou

Moises Abraham Carreon

Hang Li

Alan W Weimer

Howard S Meyer

John L Falconer

Xinhua Liang

Jianhua Li

Mahdi Fathizadeh

Zhuonan Song

Methods are provided for preparing TiOnanofiltration membranes for water purification are provided. The method can include supplying a titanium precursor gas into a reaction chamber, where the titanium precursor gas reacts with a base support of an anodic aluminum oxide, and the base support of an anodic aluminum oxide has a surface defining a plurality of pores therein. The reaction chamber can then be evacuated to remove any unreacted titanium precursor gas, and an alkoxide precursor gas can be supplied into a reaction chamber such that the alkoxide precursor gas reacts to with the titanium on the base support to form a hybrid titanium alkoxide. Thereafter, the base support cab be heated to remove the organic component to leave titanium oxide on the surface of the base support.

TiO2 nanofiltration membranes prepared by molecular layer deposition for water purification

Thin film composite membranes and methods of fabricating thin film composite membranes are disclosed. A thin film composite membrane can include nitrogen-doped graphene oxide quantum dots. The graphene oxide quantum dots can be doped with nitrogen to increase the performance of the thin film composite membrane. Other particulate compounds can be further integrated with the thin film composite membrane including zeolites, titanium oxides, and sulfur oxides. The thin film composite membranes can be used for various applications including desalination.

Thin film composites having graphene oxide quantum dots

Systems and methods for hydrogen generation via ammonia decomposition that utilize a fixed bed reactor configured to receive inflows of NHand oxidant and to produce an outflow of high purity H. The fixed bed reactor contains a fixed bed of a NHdecomposition catalyst wherewith the NHdecomposes to form Nand H; a plurality of ceramic hollows fibers with a high surface to volume ratio disposed in the fixed bed, the hollow fibers having an Hselective membrane disposed thereon for extracting Hfrom Nand to form a permeate of the high purity Hand a retentate of primarily N; and a catalytic Hburner also disposed in the fixed bed, the catalytic Hburner for burning a portion of the Hwith the oxidant to provide thermal energy for the NHdecomposition.

Devices and methods for hydrogen generation via ammonia decomposition

A graphene-based membrane, along with its methods of formation and use, is provided. The graphene membrane includes at least two graphene-oxide layers. Each graphene-oxide layer has a plurality of graphene-oxide flakes, with each graphene-oxide flake having a planar graphene structure with oxygen moieties extending therefrom. The graphene-based membrane can have a thickness of about 2 nm to about 20 nm. Such a graphene-based membrane can be utilized to remove ions from water.

Ion removal from water by ultra-thin graphene-based membranes

Methods are generally provided for forming a membrane. In one embodiment, the method includes: dispersing GO nanoparticles in a solvent; depositing the GO nanoparticles on a support to form a GO membrane; and reducing the GO membrane to form a rGO membrane. Also provided is the rGO membrane formed from such methods, along with a plurality of stacked rGO layers. Methods are also provided for separating water from a water/oil emulsion by, for example, passing water through the rGO membrane.

Ultrathin, graphene-based membranes for water treatment and methods of their formation and use

Methods for forming an ultrathin GO membrane are provided. The method can include: dispersing a single-layered graphene oxide powder in deionized water to form a single-layered graphene oxide dispersion; centrifuging the graphene oxide dispersion to remove aggregated graphene oxide material from the single-layered graphene oxide dispersion; thereafter, diluting the single-layered graphene oxide dispersion by about ten times or more through addition of deionized water to the graphene oxide dispersion; and thereafter, passing the single-layered graphene oxide dispersion through a substrate such that a graphene oxide membrane is formed on the substrate. Filtration membranes are also provided and can include: a graphene oxide membrane having a thickness of about 1.8 nm to about 180 nm, with the graphene oxide membrane comprises about 3 to about 30 layers of graphene oxide flakes.

Ultrathin, molecular-sieving graphene oxide membranes for separations along with their methods of formation and use

A method for separating the components of a mixture containing methyl methacrylate, water, and methanol in which the mixture is dehydrated in a first stage membrane unit, producing a dehydrated mixture. Methanol in the dehydrated mixture is removed in a second stage membrane unit, producing a retentate stream containing methyl methacrylate and substantially no said methanol.

Process for purification of methyl methacrylate using molecular sieve membranes

Adsorbent pellets coated with an outer nano-porous layer can be loaded with gas at loading pressures of 250 bar or greater, enabling a much higher loading than can be achieved at low pressures. The nano-porous layer provides nano-valves which can be sealed with an adsorbate such as ethanol or a hydrocarbon to close the nano-valves. The closed nano-valves maintain the high loading pressure inside the adsorbent pellets, and thus maintain the gas loading, during storage of the loaded nano-valved adsorbent pellets at much lower pressure. To release the gas, the nano-porous layer can be heated to a temperature sufficient to vaporize the adsorbate and open the nano-valves.

Method for loading and storing gas in nano-valved sorbents

Ultra-thin porous films are deposited on a substrate in a process that includes laying down an organic polymer, inorganic material or inorganic-organic material via an atomic layer deposition or molecular layer deposition technique, and then treating the resulting film to introduce pores. The films are characterized in having extremely small thicknesses of pores that are typically well less than 50 nm in size.

Ultra-thin metal oxide and carbon-metal oxide films prepared by atomic layer deposition (ALD)

An apparatus for gas separation a composite gas separation membrane having a gas separation layer disposed on a surface of a porous support. The gas separation layer has a plurality of gas permeable inorganic nano-particles embedded in a dense polymer forming substantially only discrete gas transport channels through the dense polymer layer, wherein direct fluid communication is provided from a feed side of the composite gas separator membrane to the porous support. Preferably, the inorganic nano-particles are porous molecular sieve particles, such as SAPO-34, ALPO-18, and Zeolite Y nano-particles.

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Pittsford, NY, United States of America

Miao Yu