Stimuli-responsive polymer membrane and method of making the same

摘要

The object of the present invention is concerned with a stimuli-responsive polymer membrane and method of making the same. The method and making the membrane is a new one The entire body of the responsive membrane is a gel. Gels are used as membranes because they are permeable-swollen network. This disclosure discusses a new combination of cylindrical pores in a swollen network. When the network swells or shrinks the cylindrical pores open or close. Thus, inside the network, one can introduce ligands, function groups which due to specific interaction with some signaling molecules in the surrounding environment can cause swelling or shrinking the membrane and this way they open or close pores. With cylindrical pores in a gel there is the ability to regulate pore size in a broad range and an ability to arrange response by adding some functional groups inside the gel body.

主权项

1. A method for making a stimuli-responsive (SR) polymer membrane with a two-dimensional array of circular microscopic pores comprising the acts of:
preparing a solution composed of a SR polymer with pendant cross-linkable groups and a low-volatile liquid pore-forming additive (porogen); casting of said solution onto a surface of a solid or polymer substrate to obtain a microporous thin film membrane; decreasing solubility of said additive by adding of a small amount of a nonsolvent from vapor; inducing a nonsolvent-induced microphase separation of said additive in said solution followed by drying of said polymer and evaporation of said additive; controlling a pore size of said membrane by varying a vapor pressure of said nonsolvent during said casting process; cross-linking of said SR polymer constituting said membrane to produce a polymer network (SR polymer gel); making a hybrid layer with stimuli-controlled surface wettability using said SR polymer membrane; modifying said membrane's surface by a layer of a hydrophilic component (polymer or surface-functionalized inorganic nanoparticles); immobilizing of a hydrophobic component (polymer or surface-functionalized inorganic nanoparticles) inside said membrane's pores; and modifying said membrane's surface by a layer of a hydrophobic component (polymer or surface-functionalized inorganic nanoparticles); immobilizing a hydrophilic component (polymer or surface-functionalized inorganic nanoparticles) inside said membrane's pores.