Porous multi-component material for the capture and separation of species of interest

A composite material for capture and concentration of a species of interest, comprising:

• a. a substrate;
• b. a porous composite thin film formed by mixing a porous polymer with a nanostructured material, wherein the porous polymer is present in a range from 5 wt % to about 40 wt % based on the weight of the porous composite thin film, wherein the porous polymer includes strands randomly dispersed within the nanostructured material and binding the nanostructured material, and the substrate is coated by the porous composite thin film, wherein the species of interest is captured and concentrated in the porous composite thin film for trace level detection in air or aqueous environments;
• wherein the porous polymer is one of the following:
• polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC), sulfonated tetrafluoroethylene, and polyamide;
• wherein the nanostructured material comprises a network of a plurality of nanoporous particles wherein each nanoporous particle comprises nanoporous silica, nanofiber silica, mesoporous silica, composites of mesoporous silica, carbon nanotube, metal-organic framework (MOF), graphene, high surface area polymer, a ceramic, mesoporous carbon, activated carbon, a metal oxide, a metal or any combinations thereof;
• and
• c. surface chemistry on the nanostructured particle, wherein the surface chemistry is chemically functionalized prior to inclusion to the porous composite thin film.