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A 3-dimensional nanofiber membrane with superior hydrophilicity and mechanical properties significantly improves flux and salt rejection in thin film forward osmosis.

No abstract

Polymersomes made of amphiphilic diblock copolymers are generally regarded as having higher physical and chemical stability than liposomes composed of phospholipids. This enhanced stability arises from the higher molecular weight of polymer constituents. Despite their increased stability, polymer bilayers are solubilized by detergents in a similar manner to lipid bilayers. In this work, we evaluated the stability of poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly(εcaprolactone) (PEG-PCL) based polymersomes exposed to three different detergents: N-Octylb-D-Glucopyranoside (OG), Lauryldimethylamine N-oxide (LDAO), and Triton X-100 (TX-100). Changes in morphology, particle size distribution, and concentrations of the polymersomes were evaluated during the titration of the detergents into the polymersome solutions. Furthermore, we discussed the effect of detergent features on solubilization of the polymeric bilayer and compared it to the results reported in the literature for liposomes and polymersomes. This information can be used for tuning the properties of PEG-PCL polymersomes for use in applications such as drug delivery or protein reconstitution studies.

The evolution of the chemical and pharmaceutical industry requires effective and less energy-intensive separation technologies. Engineering smart materials at a large scale with tunable properties for molecular separation is a challenging step to materialize this goal. Herein, we report thin film composite membranes prepared by the interfacial polymerization of porous organic cages (POCs) (RCC3 and tren cages). Ultrathin crosslinked polycage selective layers (thickness as low as 9.5 nm) are obtained with high permeance and strict molecular sieving for nanofiltration. A dual function is achieved by combining molecular separation and catalysis. This is demonstrated by impregnating the cages with highly catalytically active Pd nanoclusters ( ~ 0.7 nm). While the membrane promotes a precise molecular separation, its catalytic activity enables surface self-cleaning, by reacting with any potentially adsorbed dye and recovering the original performance. This strategy opens opportunities for the development of other smart membranes combining different functions and well-tailored abilities.