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US 2017/0361281 A1Published application
Filtration membranes with functionalized star polymers
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsGeraud J. Dubois, Victor Y. Lee, Robert D. Miller, Young-Hye Na, Joseph Sly
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Abstract
A thin film composite membrane (TFC) includes an active layer on a support. The active layer includes at least 8 barrier layers of star-polymers each having at least three linear polymers attached at a central core. Each of the barrier layers has a thickness between 5 and 50 nm, and the barrier layers have alternating charge.
Claims13
A method for making a membrane, comprising:
- a) exposing a surface of a support membrane having a first surface potential to a first solution to form a first charged barrier layer on the surface, wherein the first solution comprises a first star polymer in a first solvent, and wherein the first star polymer has a second surface potential opposite the first surface potential;
- b) exposing the first charged barrier layer to a second solution to form a second charged barrier layer on the first charged barrier layer, wherein the second solution comprises a second solvent and a second star polymer having a third surface potential opposite the second surface potential;
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- c) repeating steps a) and b) to form a multilayer stack of barrier layers on the support membrane, wherein each of the barrier layers comprises self-assembled star polymers.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.