Pore size distributions in microporous membranes. A critical analysis of the bubble point extended method

An extended bubble point method has been used to examine the porous morphology of several track-etched microporous polycarbonate membranes with nominal pore sizes ranging from 0.1 to 5.0 μm. The technique has been carefully analyzed and corrected to take into account the diverse non-ideal factors in flow along with the prevalence of Knudsen flow over the Hagen-Poiseuille one in the smaller pores.     

Permeation liquid membrane for trace metal speciation in natural waters. Transport of liposoluble Cu(II) complexes

In this paper, the transport of Cu(II) in the presence of lipophilic Cu(II) organic complexes through permeation liquid membranes (PLMs) have been investigated. In natural waters, small organic compounds, which form liposoluble neutral complexes with Cu(II), are potentially toxic and bioavailable. Hence, to understand the role of liposoluble Cu(II) complexes in natural waters, four organic ligands: phthalic acid, bipyridyl, pyrocatechol and hydroxyquinoline, which form uncharged or lipophilic Cu(II) complexes, were tested. The results showed that the transport of lipophilic Cu(II) complexes through PLM depends on the lipophilicity of the complex. Applications of PLMs in natural waters are presented.     

Proton-ionizable crown compounds. 17. Transport studies of alkali metal ions in a H2O-CH2Cl2-H2O liquid membrane system by macrocycles containing two sulfonamide groups derived fromo- andm-phenylene diamine

The transport of alkali metal cations by several macrocycles possessing two sulfonamide groups as a part of an 18-, 20-, or 21-membered macroring has been studied. Some of these compounds were found to be more effective transport agents than the proton-ionizable pyridone- and triazole-containing crown ethers reported previously. The factors affecting transport, such as ring size, source and receiving phase pH, and the nature of the groups attached to the sulfonamide nitrogen atoms were examined. Also, extraction experiments by some of the ligands were performed. The behavior of sulfonamide type crowns in single and competitive transport of the alkali metal cations is explained. The mechanism of transport appears to be complex. Transport of one or two cations per molecule of the disulfonamide carriers occurs. Complexation of these cations appears to occur both within and outside the macrocycle cavity. Our results also suggest that kinetic factors may play a significant role in transport rates and selectivities.Deceased: September 5, 1987.     

Artificial red cells with crosslinked hemoglobin membranes

Artificial cells containing concentrated hemoglobin (Hb) solution were prepared by interfacial polymerization of Hb with glutaraldehyde (GA) in liquid membrane capsules (LMC). A solution containing 30% of Hb was emulsified in mineral oil as red cell-size microdroplets, and this emulsion was dispersed in an aqueous phase containing glutaraldehyde to form LMC. The LMC were semipermeable templates that held the microdroplets of Hb in suspension while GA diffused through the oil to the microdroplet surfaces. The GA crosslinked Hb at the surface of each microdroplet to form an artificial red-cell membrane encapsulating Hb solution. A water-soluble surfactant was used to eject the cells from the LMC and suspend them in saline. Several surfactants were evaluated. Cell size was controlled by agitation speed during preparation of the original emulsion. Cells of 2.52 = ±1.69 μm were prepared. The encapsulated Hb retained capacity to bind and release O₂. The cells had aP ₅₀ of 8.9 torr (1200 Pa) and a capacity of 0.55 cc O₂/g of total Hb, indicating that the crosslinked portion of the Hb did not contribute to O₂ transport.     

Titania membrane preparation with chemical stability for very hash environments applications

The high-quality tubular titania MF membranes are successfully prepared by dip-coating techniques and systematically investigated with regard to their corrosive resistances. The experiments show that dispersants PAA and anatase powder were preferably employed to prepare desired suspensions with solid loading 10–15 wt.% and that suspensions properties significantly affect the final membranes quality. The titania MF membranes with pure water permeability 742.42 l m⁻² h⁻¹ bar⁻¹ and 0.1 μm pore diameter have been obtained using the prepared suspensions. The corrosion resistance of titania membranes exhibits that the anatase layers are more stable than the alumina supports in boiling corrosive medium and that the poor quality titania MF membranes become more deteriorated due to its top layer pore blockages and fouling layer formation, which provides a wide range of practical application fields in very hash environments with reliable data supports.     

Synthesis and characterization of MCM-48 tubular membranes

MCM-48 membranes have been prepared on alumina supports of different pore sizes. A battery of characterization techniques has been used to study the physical properties and the quality of the membranes prepared. The highest quality membranes were prepared on supports with pore size of up to 60 nm. The MCM-48 membranes were tested in the separation of gas phase mixtures and a cyclohexane/O₂ selectivity higher than 270 was obtained. The selective separation of organic compounds from inert components is a result of the cooperative effects of capillary condensation in MCM-48 pores and of the specific interactions of the permeating compounds and the membrane material.     

Electroanalytical sensors for nonconducting media based on electrodes supported on perfluorinated ion-exchange membranes

Electroanalytical sensors, suitable for the analysis and monitoring of electroactive analytes present in gaseous phase or low-conductive liquid media, and based on electrodes in close contact with perfluorinated ion-exchange polymers are reviewed. The basic operative mechanism of these sensors, in which ion-exchange polymers act as solid polymer electrolytes (SPE's), is thoroughly discussed, while stressing the fundamental reasons why their behavior differs from that of conventional membrane electrodes. The procedures for preparing composite working electrodes by coating one side of ion-exchange membranes with stable porous films of conductive materials are described, along with the most common strategies followed to assemble this type of sensors. Useful examples of measurements in electrolyte-free media of inorganic and organic electroactive species of interest mainly for environmental analysis are given. Future prospects for the development of these sensors are also discussed.     

基于DNA的细胞膜功能化

细胞膜在细胞与外界环境间的物质运输、能量转换和信息传递等过程中起着重要作用,研究和控制细胞膜上的分子的相互作用,对理解和操控细胞的生理功能具有重要意义。脱氧核糖核酸(Deoxyribonucleic acid, DNA)分子具有精确自组装和可编程的特性,是一种研究生物膜分子相互作用的新工具。本综述中,我们概括了DNA分子修饰细胞膜的方法,随后介绍了基于DNA分子的监测、控制细胞膜分子相互作用的工作以及DNA分子介导细胞连接的研究,并分析了上述研究的局限性。最后,我们对基于DNA的细胞膜功能化研究进行总结与展望,以期促进对细胞膜功能的新认识,获得控制细胞功能的新方法。     

聚酰亚胺中空纤维膜用于甲醇/甲基叔丁基醚的分离

甲醇／甲基叔丁基醚混合物的膜法分离，大多采用渗透汽化方法，少有采用蒸汽渗透法。用聚酰亚胺中空纤维膜，对以蒸汽渗透和渗透汽化两种方式分离甲醇／甲基叔丁基醚混合物（甲醇质量分数为0．01－0．30）的效果进行了对比。结果显示，在甲醇质量分数低于0．05时，蒸汽渗透较渗透汽化法的分离性能优越。     

Preparation and characterization of mono-valent ion selective polypyrrole composite ion-exchange membranes

Polypyrrole composite cation- and anion-exchange membranes (CEM and AEM), in which polypyrrole (PPY) coated on one surface of the membrane as a thin layer, were prepared by chemical polymerization of pyrrole in the presence of high oxidant concentration (Na₂S₂O₈). Existence of polypyrrole layer on the both types of ion-exchange membranes were confirmed by recording their coating density, SEM images and conductivity. These membranes were extensively characterized by recording their properties such as water uptake, ion-exchange capacity, contact angle, permselectivity and membrane conductivity as a function of polymerization time such as. It was observed that due to coating of PPY for 2 h, membrane permselectivity of CEM for NaCl (0.907) was reduced to 0.873, while it was increased from 0.747 to 0.889 in the case of AEM. Similar behaviors were also obtained for bi-valent electrolytes. Electrodialysis experiments were also conducted with polypyrrole composite ion-exchange membranes using mixed electrolytic systems. Relative dialytic rates for NaCl with respect to other bi-valent electrolyte were varied in between 5 and 8 (depending on bi-valent electrolyte), which suggested the feasible and efficient separation of mono-valent from bi-valent electrolyte. Slower electro-migration of bi-valent electrolyte (CaCl₂, MgCl₂ and CuCl₂) in comparison to NaCl was explained on the basis of synergetic effect of sieving of bulkier bi-valent cations by tight and rigid polypyrrole layer and the difference in electrostatic and hydrophobic–hydrophilic repulsion force between bi-valent cations and mono-valent cation. It was concluded that these composite membranes are suitable for the efficient separation of same type of charged ions by electro-driven separation techniques.