Magnetic nanotube composite membranes

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017203256-A1
Application number	US-201615000801-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 19, 2016
Priority date	Jan 19, 2016
Publication date	Jul 20, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

The invention provides a membrane comprising tubes extending through a polymer, wherein substantially all of the tubes are parallel with each other. Also provided is a method for producing a membrane, the method comprising: placing tubes on a substrate, subjecting the tubes to a magnetic field for a time and at a magnetic field strength to cause the tubes to align parallel with each other while simultaneously causing depending ends of the tubes to embed within the substrate; applying polymer to the tubes and substrate in an amount to affix the tubes relative to each other and relative to the substrate, and applying an etchant that cleaves a specific type of the bonds within the polymer to unblock the upstream ends of the nanotubes.

First claim

1 . A membrane comprising tubes extending through a polymer, wherein substantially all of the tubes are parallel with each other.

2 . The membrane as recited in claim 1 wherein the tubes are hydrophilic.

3 . The membrane as recited in claim 2 wherein the tubes comprise graphite.

4 . The membrane as recited in claim 1 further comprising a foundation substrate contacting a depending end of the tubes.

5 . The membrane as recited in claim 1 wherein the polymer is a compound selected from the group consisting of amines, activated carboxylic acids (e.g. acyl chlorides, acyl phosphates, conjugates with N-hydroxysuccinimide, and combinations thereof.

6 . The membrane as recited in claim 4 wherein the foundation substrate is a material selected from the group consisting of polysulfone, regenerated cellulose, poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET), polyamide, alumina (e.g. anodic aluminum oxide), porous silica, and combinations thereof.

7 . The membrane as recited in claim 4 wherein the foundation substrate has a porosity between approximately 50 nm and approximately 100 nm.

8 . The membrane as recited in claim 1 wherein the membrane exhibits flux rates of between about 1 and about 60 L/m 2 -h at a pressure of between approximately 15 psi and approximately 65 psi.

9 . The membrane as recited in claim 1 wherein the tubes are between approximately 1 and 100 microns long and are between approximately 0.5 and 100 nanometers in diameter.

10 . The membrane as recited in claim 1 wherein the tubes have an aspect ratio of between about 1000 and about 10,000.

11 . The membrane as recited in claim 1 wherein the tubes are comprised of compounds selected from the group consisting of iron cobalt oxide, iron oxide (magnetite), cobalt oxide, iron, cobalt, iron cobalt functionalized carbon, iron-platinum moieties, yttrium iron garnet, nickel iron oxides, nickel iron zinc oxides, and combinations thereof.

12 . The membrane as recited in claim 4 wherein the substrate is reversibly deformable.

13 . A method for producing a membrane, the method comprising:
a. placing tubes on a substrate; b. subjecting the tubes to a magnetic field for a time and at a magnetic field strength to cause the tubes to align parallel with each other while simultaneously causing depending ends of the tubes to embed within the substrate; and c. applying polymer to the tubes and substrate in an amount to affix the tubes relative to each other and relative to the substrate.

14 . The method as recited in claim 13 wherein the magnetic field is removed after the polymer hardens.

15 . The method as recited in claim 13 further comprising immersing the affixed tubes in an etchant.

16 . The method as recited in claim 15 wherein the etchant cleaves chemical bonds between constituents of the polymer.

17 . The method as recited in claim 15 wherein the etchant is a compound selected from the group consisting of enzymes, bases, acids, oxygen plasma, and combinations thereof.

18 . The method as recited in claim 13 wherein the polymer is polyamide and the etchant is a mixture of proteases.

19 . The method as recited in claim 18 wherein the polyamide comprises m-phenylenediamine and 1,3,5-benzene tricarbonyl chloride.

20 . The method as recited in claim 18 wherein the mixture of proteases comprise Streptomyces griseus Protease A, S. griseus Protease B, and S. griseus Trypsin.

Assignees

• Chen Xing
• Ignacio-De Leon Patricia
• Rabe Emily Jane
• Urgun-Demirtas Meltem
• Brotzman Richard W
• Uchicago Argonne Llc

Inventors

• Chen Xing
• Ignacio-De Leon Patricia
• Rabe Emily Jane
• Urgun-Demirtas Meltem
• Brotzman Richard W

Classifications

• B01D71/024

  Oxides · CPC title

• B01D69/043 Primary

  characterised by the tube diameter · CPC title

• B01D67/0093

  Chemical modification · CPC title

• B01D2323/35

  Use of magnetic or electrical fields · CPC title

• B01D71/56 Primary

  Polyamides, e.g. polyester-amides · CPC title