ELECTRONICALLY CONDUCTIVE POLYMERS AS CHEMICALLY-SELECTIVE LAYERS FORMEMBRANE-BASED SEPARATIONS

We show that electronically conductive polymers are promising new mate rials for membrane-based separations, including gas separations and pe rvaporation. The approach we have taken is to use interfacial polymeri zation to synthesize thin films of the desired electronically conducti ve polymer (e.g. polyprrole, poly(N-methylpyrrole), polyaniline) onto the surfaces of microporous support membranes. These interfacial polym erizations yield thin film composite membranes in which the microporou s support provides the requisite mechanical strength and the conductiv e polymer provides the chemical selectivity. Results of gas-transport and pervaporation experiments on such conductive polymer-based thin fi lm composite membranes will be described.