Self-assembled surfactant structures
AssigneeZnano LLC
InventorAdrian Brozell
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Abstract
Stabilized surfactant-based membranes and methods of manufacture thereof. Membranes comprising a stabilized surfactant mesostructure on a porous support may be used for various separations, including reverse osmosis and forward osmosis. The membranes are stabilized after evaporation of solvents; in some embodiments no removal of the surfactant is required. The surfactant solution may or may not comprise a hydrophilic compound such as an acid or base. The surface of the porous support is preferably modified prior to formation of the stabilized surfactant mesostructure. The membrane is sufficiently stable to be utilized in commercial separations devices such as spiral wound modules.
Claims20
A membrane comprising a stabilized surfactant mesostructure bonded to a functionalized top surface of a porous plastic support, said stabilized surfactant mesostructure comprising surfactant molecules, wherein the functionalized top surface comprises at least one of a grafted top surface, a covalently modified top surface, an adsorption modified top surface, or an oxidized top surface and an alignment of surfactant molecules in the stabilized surfactant mesostructure enables transport across the stabilized surfactant mesostructure.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.