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Photo-switchable membrane and method

Patent ·
OSTI ID:1084240
Switchable gas permeation membranes in which a photo-switchable low-molecular-weight liquid crystalline (LC) material acts as the active element, and a method of making such membranes. Different LC eutectic mixtures were doped with mesogenic azo dyes and infused into track-etched porous membranes with regular cylindrical pores. Photo-induced isothermal phase changes in the imbibed mesogenic material afforded large, reversible changes in the permeability of the photo-switchable membrane to nitrogen. For example, membranes imbibed with a photo-switchable cyanobiphenyl LC material demonstrated low permeability in the nematic state, while the photo-generated isotropic state demonstrated a 16.times.-greater sorption coefficient. Both states obey a high linear sorption behavior in accordance with Henry's Law. In contrast, membranes imbibed with a photo-switchable phenyl benzoate LC material showed the opposite permeability behavior to the biphenyl-imbibed membrane, along with nonlinear sorption behavior.
Research Organization:
University of Rochester (Rochester, NY)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
DOE Contract Number:
FC52-08NA28302
Assignee:
University of Rochester (Rochester, NY)
Patent Number(s):
8,435,333
Application Number:
13/195,508
OSTI ID:
1084240
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

References (1)

A Polarizer-Free Electro-Optical Switch Using Dye-Doped Liquid Crystal Gels journal October 2009

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