# US 2015/0144553 A1 · Hollow fiber module having tfc-aquaporin modified membranes

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- Number: US 2015/0144553 A1
- Document ID: US20150144553A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/610,504
- Filed: 2015-01-30
- Published: 2015-05-28
- Earliest claimed: 2013-01-11
- Assignees: Aquaporin A/S
- Applicants: Aquaporin A/S
- Inventors: Jörg VOGEL; Jesper S. GROTH; Kent Høier NIELSEN; Oliver GESCHKE
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20150144553A1

## CPC

- C08J 3/246: {Intercrosslinking of at least two polymers}
- B01D 61/002: {Forward osmosis or direct osmosis}
- B01D 63/023: {Encapsulating materials}
- B01D 67/0006: {by chemical reactions (in-situ polymerisation, polycondensation, cross-linking or reaction for manufacturing composite membranes B01D69/125)}
- B01D 69/08: Hollow fibre membranes (manufacture of hollow fibres D01D5/24, D01F1/08)
- B01D 69/1251: {by interfacial polymerisation}
- B01D 69/144: {containing embedded or bound biomolecules}
- B01D 71/56: Polyamides, e.g. polyester-amides
- B01D 71/701: {Polydimethylsiloxane}
- B01D 71/74: Natural macromolecular material or derivatives thereof (B01D71/08, B01D71/24 take precedence)
- B01D 71/80: Block polymers
- B01D 61/025: {Reverse osmosis; Hyperfiltration}
- B01D 61/027: {Nanofiltration}
- B01D 2323/40: in-situ membrane formation
- B01D 2325/39: Amphiphilic membranes
- C08J 2381/06: Polysulfones; Polyethersulfones
- C08J 2389/00: Characterised by the use of proteins; Derivatives thereof
- C08J: WORKING-UP; GENERAL PROCESSES OF COMPOUNDING; AFTER-TREATMENT NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES C08B, C08C, C08F, C08G or C08H (working, e.g. shaping, of plastics B29)
- B01D: SEPARATION (separating solids from solids by wet methods B03B, B03D; by pneumatic jigs or tables B03B; by other dry methods B07; magnetic or electrostatic separation of solid materials from solid materials or fluids, separation by high-voltage electric fields B03C; centrifuges, vortex apparatus B04; presses per se for squeezing-out liquid from liquid-containing material B30B9/02; treatment of water C02F, e.g. softening by ion-exchange C02F1/42; {arrangements of air intake cleaners in gas turbine plants F02C7/05} ; arrangements or mounting of filters in air-conditioning, air-humidification or ventilation F24F13/28)

## Abstract

The present invention relates to a hollow fiber (HF) module having fibers modified with a thin film composite (TFC) layer comprising aquaporin water channels.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A hollow fiber (HF) module having fibers modified with a thin film composite (TFC) layer comprising aquaporin water channels, wherein said aquaporin water channels are incorporated in vesicles before incorporation into the TFC layer.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The HF module according to claim 1, wherein said vesicles into which the aquaporin water channels are incorporated are liposomes or polymersomes.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The HF module according to claim 2, wherein said liposomes are prepared from lipids selected from the group consisting of DPhPC, DOPC, mixed soy bean lipids, asolectin and E. coli mixed lipids.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The HF module according to claim 2, wherein said polymersomes comprise triblock copolymers of the hydrophile-hydrophobe-hydrophile (A-B-A or A-B-C) type, diblock copolymers of the hydrophile-hydrophobe type (A-B), or a combination thereof.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The HF module according to claim 1, wherein said aquaporin water channels selected from the group consisting of AqpZ channels and SoPIP2;1 water channels.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The HF module according to claim 1, wherein said TFC layer is formed through interfacial polymerization of an aqueous solution of a di- or triamine with a solution of di- or triacyl halide in an organic solvent, and wherein the aquaporin water channel vesicles are incorporated in said aqueous solution.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The HF module according to claim 1, wherein the hollow fiber support material is a polyethersulfone.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The HF module according to claim 1, wherein the fiber area is from about 0.1 cm2 to about 0.5 m2.

### Claim 9

A hollow fiber membrane modified with a thin film composite (TFC) layer comprising aquaporin water channels, wherein said aquaporin water channels are incorporated in vesicles before incorporation into the TFC layer.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The HF membrane according to claim 9, wherein said vesicles into which the aquaporin water channels are incorporated are liposomes or polymersomes.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The HF membrane according to claim 9, wherein said liposomes are prepared from lipids selected from the group consisting of DPhPC, DOPC, mixed soy bean lipids, asolectin and E. coli mixed lipids.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The HF membrane according to claim 10, wherein said polymersomes comprise triblock copolymers of the hydrophile-hydrophobe-hydrophile (A-B-A or A-B-C) type, diblock copolymers of the hydrophile-hydrophobe type (A-B) or a combination thereof.

### Claim 13 (depends on 10)

The HF membrane according to claim 10, wherein said aquaporin water channels are selected from the group consisting of AqpZ channels and SoPIP2;1 water channels.

### Claim 14 (depends on 9)

The HF membrane according to claim 9, wherein said TFC layer is formed through interfacial polymerization of an aqueous solution of a di- or triamine with a solution of an di- or triacyl halide in an organic solvent, and wherein the aquaporin water channel vesicles are incorporated in said aqueous solution.

### Claim 15

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.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The method according to claim 15, wherein the method comprises 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 1,3-diaminobenzene of about 1% to about 5% (w/w) concentration,
c) dissolving benzene-1,3,5-tricarbonyl chloride in an organic solvent selected from the group consisting of hexane, heptane, octane or a mixture of solvents to obtain a concentration of about 0.05% to about 1% (w/v),
d) preparing an 1,3-diaminobenzene/aquaporin vesicle mixture 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 benzene-1,3,5-tricarbonyl chloride 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.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The method according to claim 15, wherein said hollow fiber module comprises polyethersulfone fibers.

### Claim 18 (depends on 15)

The method according to claim 15, wherein in step f) the fibers are gas purged to dryness and wherein the module is held upside down in step f).