HYBRID ORGANIC-INORGANIC MATERIALS APPLIED TO MEMBRANE PREPARATION

This paper deals with the preparation of membranes using hybrid organic-inorganic materials. The rapid expansion of hybrid materials provides great potential for the design of innovative membrane materials. Heteropolysiloxanes (HPS) with tailored properties have been synthesized and used as starting compounds for the preparation of membrane materials. The resulting membranes have been tested in several membrane processes, gas separation, nanofiltration, facilitated transport, and sensors. Depending on expected transport mechanisms (convection, solution-diffusion) and on transported entities (ions, organic or gas molecules) the membranes have been adapted to the specifications of each process. Examples are successively given on the preparation of membranes for the nanofiltration of liquids, gas separation, facilitated transport of ions, and pH sensors.