Hyperthin Membranes for Gas Separations via Layer-by-Layer Assembly.

Thin film formation via the Layer-by-Layer method is now a well-established and broadly used method in materials science. We have been keenly interested in exploiting this technique in the area of gas separations. Specifically, we have sought to create hyperthin (<100 nm) polyelectrolyte-based membranes that have practical potential for the separation of CO2 from N2 (flue gas) and H2 from CO2 (syngas). In this personal account, we summarize recent studies that have been aimed at measuring the influence of a variety of factors that can affect the permeability and permeation selectivity of hyperthin polyelectrolyte multilayers (PEMs).