Biomimetic membranes and methods of making biomimetic membranes
AssigneesNational Technology & Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC, The Regents of the University of New Mexico
InventorsSusan Rempe, C. Jeffrey Brinker, David Michael Rogers, Ying-Bing Jiang, Shaorong Yang
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Abstract
The present disclosure is directed to biomimetic membranes and methods of manufacturing such membranes that include structural features that mimic the structures of cellular membrane channels and produce membrane designs capable of high selectivity and high permeability or absorptivity. The membrane structure, material and chemistry can be selected to perform liquid separations, gas separation and capture, ion transport and adsorption for a variety of applications.
Claims11
A method of making a membrane, comprising:
- providing a support comprising at least one pore comprising an initial surface and an initial pore diameter having an initial pore surface chemistry, the at least one pore having a first pore depth;
- activating the initial pore surface chemistry to a second pore depth less than the first pore depth;
- using an atomic layer deposition process or a molecular layer deposition process to deposit a material to reduce the initial pore diameter to form a reduced pore diameter having a surface up to the second pore depth;
- activating the surface of the deposited material up to the second pore depth;
- and
- depositing a porous material into the reduced pore diameter to form a porous passage through the at least one pore.
A method of making a membrane, comprising:
- providing a support comprising at least one pore having an inside pore surface comprising a surface chemistry, the at least one pore having a first pore depth;
- using an atomic layer deposition process or a molecular layer deposition process to modify a portion of the inside pore surface with an alternate surface chemistry up to a second pore depth less than the first pore depth;
- modifying the alternative surface chemistry to a second pore depth less than the first pore depth;
- and
- depositing a porous material into the reduced pore diameter to form a porous passage through the at least one pore.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.