HYBRID ORGANIC-INORGANIC MATERIALS APPLIED TO MEMBRANE PREPARATION

This paper deals with the preparation of membranes using hybrid organi c-inorganic materials. The rapid expansion of hybrid materials provide s great potential for the design of innovative membrane materials. Het eropolysiloxanes (HPS) with tailored properties have been synthesized and used as starting compounds for the preparation of membrane materia ls. The resulting membranes have been tested in several membrane proce sses, gas separation, nanofiltration, facilitated transport, and senso rs. Depending on expected transport mechanisms (convection, solution-d iffusion) 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 o f ions, and pH sensors.