Hollow fiber module having tfc-aquaporin modified membranes

A method of preparing a hollow fiber module comprising HF membranes modified with a thin film composite (TFC) layer comprising aquaporin water channels, said method comprising the steps of:

• a) obtaining an aquaporin vesicles suspension (proteoliposomes or proteopolymersomes) having from about 25 to about 500 LPR/POPR of protein,
• b) preparing an aqueous solution of a di- or triamine,
• c) dissolving a di- or triacyl halide in an apolar organic solvent,
• d) preparing a mixture of amine and aquaporin vesicle by dissolving/mixing the vesicles preparation from step a) with the solution from step b),
• e) pumping the mixture from step d) through the lumen of the hollow fibers in a hollow fiber module using its end inlet,
• f) removing excess aqueous solution by a gas purging of the lumen side of the fibers using a module inlet,
• g) injecting the acyl halide solution from step c) into the module through the lumen of the hollow fibers to allow an interfacial polymerization reaction to take place, and
• h) rinsing the module with an aqueous solvent by injection through a module inlet.