Smooth polymer membranes and electrospray printing methods of making thereof

Abstract

A method of making a polymer membrane, the method including providing a first monomer solution having a first solvent, a second monomer solution having a second solvent, and a substrate having a surface, and including electrospraying the first monomer solution onto the substrate surface and electrospraying the second monomer solution onto the substrate surface to form the polymer membrane on at least a portion of the substrate surface.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A thin film composite membrane comprising a polymer selective layer derived from a first monomer solution and a second monomer solution, wherein the thin film composite membrane selective layer has a smoothness characterized by an RMS roughness value of less than or equal to about 45 nm. 
     
     
         2 . The thin film composite membrane polymer selective layer according to  claim 1 , wherein the first monomer solution and/or the second monomer solution comprises a diamine, m-phenylene diamine (MPD), piperazine, an aromatic amine, an aliphatic amine, an acid chloride, trimesoyl chloride (TMC), polyvinyl alcohol, glutaraldehyde, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         3 . The thin film composite membrane polymer selective layer according to  claim 1 , wherein the first monomer solution comprises m-phenylene diamine (MPD), and the second monomer solution comprises trimesoyl chloride (TMC). 
     
     
         4 . The thin film composite membrane polymer selective layer according to  claim 3 , wherein the MPD concentration ranges from about 0.0625 to about 0.5 wt./vol of a first solvent and the TMC concentration ranges from about 0.0375 to about 0.3 wt./vol of a second solvent. 
     
     
         5 . The thin film composite membrane polymer selective layer according to  claim 1 , wherein the molar ratio of a monomer of the first monomer solution and a monomer of the second monomer solution ranges from 1:1 to 30:1. 
     
     
         6 . The thin film composite membrane polymer selective layer according to  claim 1 , wherein the first monomer solution and/or the second monomer solution further comprise a conductive spray aid. 
     
     
         7 . The thin film composite membrane according to  claim 1 , further comprising a substrate at least partially mounted with respect to the polymer selective layer, wherein the substrate comprises polyvinylidene fluoride, nylon, polysulfone, polyethersulfone, polyacrylonitrile, polycarbonate, polybenzimidizole, cellulose, silica, siloxane, ceramic, glass, metal, a fibrous membrane, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         8 . The thin film composite membrane according to  claim 7  further comprising a porous substrate at least partially mounted with respect to the polymer selective layer and the substrate thereby forming a desalination system, wherein the system demonstrates a pure water permeance in the range of about 0.1 LMH/bar to about 16 LMH/bar. 
     
     
         9 . The thin film composite membrane polymer selective layer according to  claim 1  comprising a thickness that is controllable to within less than or equal to about 4 nm. 
     
     
         10 . The thin film composite membrane polymer selective layer according to  claim 1  comprising between about 4 and about 10 layers of the polymer. 
     
     
         11 . A thin film composite membrane comprising a polymer selective layer derived from a first monomer solution comprising m-phenylene diamine (MPD) and a second monomer solution comprising trimesoyl chloride (TMC), wherein the thin film composite membrane selective layer has a smoothness characterized by an RMS roughness value of less than or equal to about 45 nm. 
     
     
         12 . The thin film composite membrane polymer selective layer according to  claim 11 , wherein the MPD concentration ranges from about 0.0625 to about 0.5 wt./vol of a first solvent and the TMC concentration ranges from about 0.0375 to about 0.3 wt./vol of a second solvent. 
     
     
         13 . The thin film composite membrane polymer selective layer according to  claim 11 , wherein the molar ratio of MPD:TMC ranges from 1:1 to 30:1. 
     
     
         14 . The thin film composite membrane polymer selective layer according to  claim 11 , wherein the MPD and/or the TMC further comprise a conductive spray aid. 
     
     
         15 . The thin film composite membrane according to  claim 11  further comprising a substrate at least partially mounted with respect to the polymer selective layer, wherein the substrate comprises polyvinylidene fluoride, nylon, polysulfone, polyethersulfone, polyacrylonitrile, polycarbonate, polybenzimidizole, cellulose, silica, siloxane, ceramic, glass, metal, a fibrous membrane, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         16 . The thin film composite membrane according to  claim 15  further comprising a porous substrate at least partially mounted with respect to the polymer selective layer and the substrate thereby forming a desalination system, wherein the system demonstrates a pure water permeance in the range of about 0.1 LMH/bar to about 16 LMH/bar. 
     
     
         17 . The thin film composite membrane polymer selective layer according to  claim 11  comprising a thickness that is controllable to within less than or equal to about 4 nm. 
     
     
         18 . The thin film composite membrane polymer selective layer according to  claim 11  comprising between about 4 and about 10 layers of the polyamide polymer. 
     
     
         19 . A desalination system comprising the thin film composite membrane of  claim 11  and further comprising a substrate mounted with respect to the polymer selective layer, wherein the thin film composite membrane and the substrate are at least partially mounted with respect to a porous substrate, the thin film composite membrane polymer selective layer has a smoothness characterized by an RMS roughness value of less than or equal to about 45 nm. 
     
     
         20 . The desalination system according to  claim 19 , wherein the system demonstrates a pure water permeance in the range of about 0.1 LMH/bar to about 16 LMH/bar.