Block copolymers are capable of self-assembling into densely-packed arrays of isoporous cylindrical nanopores. The highly scalable non-solvent induced phase inversion technique can be used to force this self-assembly via induced concentration gradients from a selective solvent system. The membranes produced provide an appealing alternative to current materials, with the regular pore structure associated with ideal track-etched membranes and high porosities on the order of typical phase inverted materials. In theory, aligned cylinders formed through nanostructuring of block copolymers could enable a fully polymeric analog to the highly theorized aquaporin and aligned nanotube membranes, while maintaining ease and economy of large-scale polymeric membrane fabrication. Herein, we explore the fabrication and optimization of these membranes and compare their performance to that of commercially available membranes to show the potential that these novel materials have to revolutionize membrane separations.

Self-assembled ultrafiltration membranes for enhanced water purification

243rd National Meeting (2012)

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