(11e) Layer-By-Layer Functional Thin Film Coatings for Enhanced Light Gas Separations

Current industrial hollow-fiber (HF) polymeric membranes generally employ high-flux, low-cost and low-selectivity polymeric membranes for these light gas (H₂, CO₂, CH₄) separations, while the majority of research to-date has focused upon identifying costly and exotic polymeric materials or composites of expensive polymers and ceramic powders, to achieve high selectivities at competitive separation rates. In contrast to this conventional approach, we aim to employ thin sub-micron conformal coatings, achieved via layer-by-layer (LbL) deposition, of functional polymers in order to improve the performance of existing low-cost and conventional HF membrane systems. This talk will present a review of our work employing layer-by-layer (LbL) assemblies for enhanced gas separations, specifically employing LbL films formed from (i) branched polyethylimine/polyacrylic acid (PEI/PAA) and (ii) polyethylene oxide/polymethylmethacrylate (PEO/PMAA), for selective hydrogen and carbon dioxide removal, respectively.