Photo-induced sol–gel synthesis of polymer-supported silsesquioxane membranes

Abstract

A novel approach to the preparation of polymer-supported silsesquioxane membranes is developed via photo-induced sol–gel processing. An organically bridged silsesquioxane thin layer by coating a silsesquioxane sol with a photo-acid generator onto a polymeric SPES/PSF composite nanofiltration membrane followed by irradiation with UV at room temperature. This polymer-supported silsesquioxane membrane derived from 1,2-bis(trimethoxysilyl)ethane displays selective water permeation with a water permeance of 3.0 × 10⁻⁶ mol m⁻² s⁻¹ Pa⁻¹, and shows a separation factor of 99 in the pervaporation of a 90 wt% isopropanol aqueous solution.