Functionalized inorganic films for ion conduction
AssigneeThe Regents of the University of California
InventorsBradley Chmelka, George Athens
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Abstract
Novel membranes based on functionalized porous inorganic materials for ion exchange and conduction have been synthesized and characterized. The preparation procedure of these new membranes involves the synthesis of porous inorganic films, into which hydrophilic moieties are incorporated along the interior pore surfaces of the inorganic framework. Ion-conducting species are grafted into the pores via reactions with surface groups of the inorganic framework to allow for ion transport through the pore network.
Claims23
A method of functionalizing a porous material, comprising:
- introducing hydrophilic species into the porous material;
- wherein said hydrophilic species create a hydrophilic porous network.
A method of functionalizing a porous material, comprising:
- introducing ion-conducting species to pore surfaces in the porous material;
- wherein said ion-conducting species create ion-conducting networks.
A method of functionalizing a porous material, comprising:
- introducing hydrophilic species into the porous material;
- and
- introducing ion-conducting species to pore surfaces in the porous material.
A method of functionalizing a porous material, comprising:
- incorporating chemical moieties along interior pore surfaces in the porous material;
- and
- grafting ion-conducting species to pore surfaces in the porous material;
- wherein said ion-conducting species create ion-conducting networks.
A functionalized porous material, comprising:
- a hydrophilic membrane having pore surfaces;
- and
- ion-conducting groups incorporated onto said pore surfaces in said hydrophilic membrane;
- wherein ion-conducting networks are created through the functionalized porous material.
A method of functionalizing a porous material, comprising:
- introducing hydrophilic species into the porous material;
- introducing ion-conducting species to pore surfaces in the porous material;
- and
- introducing at least one additional functional species into the remaining pore volumes;
- wherein said additional functional species comprise hydrophilic species, hydrophobic species, ion-conducting species, reactive species, or optical species.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.