Porous self-cleaning photocatalytic membrane

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12434205-B1
Application number	US-202519243757-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jun 20, 2025
Priority date	Dec 19, 2022
Publication date	Oct 7, 2025
Grant date	Oct 7, 2025

Abstract

A membrane including a polysulfone/polyethylene terephthalate (PSf/PET) support and an active layer on an outer surface of the PSf/PET support. The active layer comprises reacted units of a diacyl chloride compound, a tetra-amine compound, and a nanocomposite including graphitic carbon nitride and polypyrrole. The membrane of the present disclosure is self-cleaning following exposure to radiation and finds application in water decontamination and de-salination.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A porous self-cleaning photocatalytic membrane, comprising:
a polysulfone/polyethylene terephthalate (PSf/PET) support; and
an active layer on an outer surface of the PSf/PET support,
wherein the active layer comprises reacted units of:
a diacyl chloride compound;
a tetra-amine compound; and
a nanocomposite comprising a mixture of graphitic carbon nitride in the form of nanosheets and having triazine and heptazine rings and polypyrrole,

wherein the membrane has pores with an average diameter of less than 1 nm.

2. The membrane of claim 1 , wherein the graphitic carbon nitride is bonded to at least one terminal end of the polypyrrole in the nanocomposite.

3. The membrane of claim 1 , wherein the nanosheets have a thickness of 10-100 nm.

4. The membrane of claim 1 , wherein the diacyl chloride compound is an aromatic ring substituted with two acyl chloride groups.

5. The membrane of claim 1 , wherein the tetra-amine compound is a linear or branched aliphatic amine with of 2-50 carbons and four amine groups.

6. The membrane of claim 1 , wherein the membrane has 0.01 to 5 wt % of the nanocomposite based on the total weight of the active layer.

7. The membrane of claim 1 , wherein particles of the active layer have a globular shape.

8. The membrane of claim 1 , wherein particles of the active layer are not agglomerated.

9. The membrane of claim 1 , wherein particles of the active layer have an average size of 50-200 nm.

10. The membrane of claim 1 , having 50-70 at. % carbon, 25-35 at. % sulfur, 5-15 at. % oxygen, and 1-10 at. % nitrogen, based on a total number of atoms in the membrane.

11. The membrane of claim 1 , having a surface roughness of less than 24 nm.

12. The membrane of claim 1 , having a water contact angle of less than 90°.

13. The membrane of claim 1 , wherein the active layer covers at least 95% of the outer surface of the polysulfone/polyethylene terephthalate (PSf/PET) support.

14. The membrane of claim 1 , having a permeate flux of 40 to 100 L m −2 h −1 at 10-30 bar.

15. The membrane of claim 1 , wherein the membrane rejects at least 60% of inorganic salts.

16. The membrane of claim 1 , wherein the membrane is self-cleaning following exposure to radiation.

Assignees

• Univ King Fahd Pet & Minerals

Inventors

• Baig Umair
• Waheed Abdul

Classifications

• Y02W10/37

  using solar energy · CPC title

• B01D71/481

  Polyarylates · CPC title

• B01D71/0211

  Graphene or derivates thereof · CPC title

• B82Y30/00

  Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites · CPC title

• B01D2323/21839

  Polymeric additives · CPC title