1. Laboratory for Membrane Preparation and Characterisation Alberto Figoli Institute on Membrane Technology (ITM-CNR) Via Pietro Bucci Cubo 17/C, Rende (CS) 87030 Tel. 0039-0984-492027, fax 0039-0984-402103 a.figoli@itm.cnr.it

2. Definition A membrane is an interphase that restricts the passage of different components in a specific manner and over a wide range of particle sizes and molecular weights, from ions to macromolecules. Feed Retentate Permeate Membranes could be produced in different geometry: -Flat - Tubular -Spherical

3. Membrane Preparation by Phase Separation The main traditional techniques employed for preparation of membranes by phase inversion, which are listed below: EIPS = Evaporation induced phase separation VIPS = Vapor induced phase separation TIPS = Temperature induced phase separation NIPS/DIPS = Non-Solvent induced or Diffusion induced phase separation VIPS NIPS Polymeric solution Support The only thermodynamic presumption for all procedures is that the system must have a miscibility gap over a defined concentration/temperature range Casting knife A. Figoli et al., Polymeric Membranes, Chapter 1, pp 1-44, In Membrane Fabrication, Edited by Nidal Hilal, Ahmad Fauzi Ismail, and Chris Wright, CRC Press, Print ISBN: 978-1-4822-1045-3; 2015

4. INNOVATION AT ITM-CNR (1) Ability to solubilize the polymer Reduced adverse effects on health and environment ALTERNATIVE – LESS TOXIC OR NON TOXIC - SOLVENTS TRIETHYL PHOSPHATE CITRATE ESTERS PROPYLEN CARBONATE METHYL/ETHYL LACTATE GAMMA- BUTYRO LACTONE IONIC LIQUIDS DIOCTYL SEBACATE ALTERNATIVE SOLVENTS FLAT SHEET HOLLOW FIBER A. Figoli, T. Marino, S. Simone, E. Di Nicolò, X.-M. Li, T. He,c S. Tornaghi and E. Drioli, Green Chemistry, 2014, 16, 4034-4059. Membrane Preparation by Phase Separation TIPS NIPS

5. INNOVATION AT ITM-CNR (2) Surface Modification of Commercial Membranes Developing of innovative polymerisable bicontinuous microemulsion (PBM) membrane for improving the anti-fouling properties of the membranes for water treatment bicontinuous The oil channels can be polymerized to form the matrix of liquid membranes, while the aqueous phase remains unchanged. They organize themselves into stable structures, depending on the initial ratio, oil/water/surfactant, allows the the control of membrane morphology (size and pore distribution) Bicontinuous structure Oil continuous phase Water continuous phase A. Figoli, B. Gabriele et al., PCT/EP2014/070603 = WO2014/EP070603, 2014

6. INNOVATION AT ITM-CNR (2) MBR Module Membrane Module for wastewater treatment DTAB PBM (KA27) Feed with HA Permeate with reduced HA Humic Acid (HA) on commercial PES UF membrane Humic Acid (HA) on DTAB PBM membrane ( PBM ) Tests for evaluating the Fouling resistance of PBM membranes Pure water produced F. Galiano, et al. A step forward to a more efficient wastewater treatment by membrane surface modification via polymerizable bicontinuous microemulsion, Journal of Membrane Science 482 (2015) 103–114

7. INNOVATION AT ITM-CNR (3) Innovative Strategy for Self Cleaning Membrane Preparation A novel chemo-mechanical strategy to arm the surface pores with oxygen evolving catalysts (POMs) that are known to liberate nascent oxygen gas when exposed to aqueous H 2 O 2 as chemical trigger. Imaging of catalystic clusters (bright areas) on the pore mouth and inner walls of the membrane H 2 O washing H 2 O incubation Fluorescent beads Gas bubbles enables beads rejection and cleaning the membrane Advanced material Interfaces, 2 (2015) 1500034