Award Abstract #0102234
NER: Dendrimer-Filled Mesoporous Membranes for Environmentally Relevant Separations

NSF Org:	CBET Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental, and Transport Systems
Initial Amendment Date:	July 26, 2001
Latest Amendment Date:	July 26, 2001
Award Number:	0102234
Award Instrument:	Standard Grant
Program Manager:	Douglas D. Frey CBET Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental, and Transport Systems ENG Directorate for Engineering
Start Date:	August 1, 2001
Expires:	July 31, 2002 (Estimated)
Awarded Amount to Date:	$100000
Investigator(s):	David Ford ford@ecs.umass.edu (Principal Investigator) Eric Simanek (Co-Principal Investigator)
Sponsor:	Texas Engineering Experiment Station TEES State Headquarters Bldg. College Station, TX 77843 979/862-1696
NSF Program(s):	CHEMICAL & BIOLOGICAL SEPAR, INTERFAC PROCESSES & THERMODYN
Field Application(s):	0308000 Industrial Technology
Program Reference Code(s):	OTHR, 1676, 0000
Program Element Code(s):	1417, 1414

ABSTRACT

Abstract

CTS-0102234

David Ford, Texas A&M University

This project seeks to synthesize and evaluate organic-inorganic hybrid membranes with a novel hierarchical nanostructure. The basic frameworks are mesoporous inorganic membranes with average pore sizes ranging from 2 to 20 nanometers. These membranes are chemically modified with dendrimers, either as ultra-thin supported films or as fillers that attach to the interior porous surfaces. Dendrimers are highly branched, monodisperse polymers with dimensions ranging from one to a few dozen nanometers; their high surface-group density and tunable chemistry allows one to create membranes that are highly selective for various gas-phase species of interest. Other design variables such as pore size, dendrimer size, and dendrimer surface coverage allow further control of membrane performance. Thus, these unique nano-architectures afford a degree of simultaneous control over both the chemistry and free volume of the membrane that is difficult to achieve with purely polymeric or purely inorganic materials.

The goal of this project is to apply scientific and engineering concepts at the nanometer scale to create membranes of novel composition and structure. Such membranes can perform environmentally important separations, such as the removal of volatile organic compounds from air, more efficiently than current techniques. This will result in a cleaner environment at a lower cost. Furthermore, the project provides an excellent opportunity for a collaboration that crosses the boundaries between Colleges (Engineering and Science) and disciplines (separations and synthetic organic chemistry).

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