Nanoporous membranes and methods for making the same

Abstract

A method for making a nanoporous membrane is disclosed. The method provides a composite film comprising an atomically thin material layer and a polymer layer, and then bombarding the composite film with energetic particles to form a plurality of pores through at least the atomically thin material layer. The nanoporous membrane also has a atomically thin material layer with a plurality of apertures therethrough and a polymer film layer adjacent one side of the graphene layer. The polymer film layer has a plurality of enlarged pores therethrough, which are aligned with the plurality of apertures. All of the enlarged pores may be concentrically aligned with all the apertures. In one embodiment the atomically thin material layer is graphene.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A nanoporous membrane, comprising:
 an atomically thin material layer having a plurality of apertures therethrough; and   a polymer film layer adjacent one side of said atomically thin material layer, said polymer film layer having a plurality of enlarged pores therethrough, wherein said plurality of enlarged pores are aligned with said plurality of apertures.   
     
     
         2 . The membrane according to  claim 1 , wherein said plurality of apertures can range in diameter from 0.5 nm to 10 nm, and wherein said plurality of enlarged pores range in diameter from 10 nm to 1000 nm. 
     
     
         3 . The membrane according to  claim 1 , wherein said plurality of enlarged pores have a diameter larger than said plurality of apertures. 
     
     
         4 . The membrane according to  claim 1 , wherein said plurality of enlarged pores have a diameter larger than said plurality of apertures. 
     
     
         5 . The membrane according to  claim 1 , wherein said atomically thin material layer is chemically bonded to said polymer film, at an edge of said plurality of apertures. 
     
     
         6 . The membrane according to  claim 1 , wherein substantially all of said plurality of enlarged pores are concentrically aligned with said plurality of apertures. 
     
     
         7 . The membrane according to  claim 7 , wherein said atomically thin material layer is selected from the group consisting of graphene, few layer graphene, molybdenum disulfide, boron nitride, hexagonal boron nitride, niobium diselenide, silicene, and germanene. 
     
     
         8 . The membrane according to  claim 1 , wherein a thickness of the polymer film is from 25 micrometers to 250 micrometers. 
     
     
         9 . The membrane according to  claim 1 , wherein polymer layer comprises polycarbonate, polyester, polyimide, polypropylene, polyvinylidene fluoride or polymethylmethacrylate.