SBIR Phase I: Monodisperse Ceramic Membranes and Membrane-Reactors

这个小型企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目旨在开发和商业化新型单分散陶瓷膜和膜反应器。我们的创新是基于自组织阳极氧化铝，具有精确设计的多孔结构和以前无法实现的孔径（低至1纳米或更小），大大增强了化学和热稳定性，以及卓越的机械性能。商业上可用的阳极氧化铝膜由于其脆弱性，易受酸碱侵蚀，以及缺乏孔径小于100纳米的对称膜而限制了其实际应用。所提出的方法通过结合具有对称孔隙度的高度有序纳米多孔阳极氧化铝的创新合成，将阳极氧化铝转化为多晶陶瓷，同时保持其形态，以及功能层的保形沉积来解决这些限制。所提出的技术将使孔径的微调范围从低于1nm到200nm。在纳米孔内沉积材料将提供所需的功能。该膜将针对选定的应用，如用于下一代汽车的燃料电池重整器，用于微机电系统（MEMS）的集成介观电源，以及未来的便携式能源。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project seeks to develop and commercialize novel monodisperse ceramic membranes and membrane-reactors. Our innovation is based on self-organized anodic alumina with precisely engineered porous structure and previously unattainable pore size (down to1 nm or less), greatly enhanced chemical and thermal stability, and superb mechanical properties. Commercially available anodic alumina membranes have limited practical application due to their fragility, susceptibility to acid and base attack, as well as the lack of membranes with pore size smaller than 100 nm for symmetrical membranes. The proposed approach addresses these limitations by combining innovative synthesis of highly ordered nanoporous anodic alumina with symmetrical porosity, conversion of anodic alumina into polycrystalline ceramic while preserving its morphology, and conformal deposition of functional layers. The proposed technology will enable the fine-tuning of the pore diameter in the ranges from below 1 nm to 200 nm. Deposition of materials inside the nanopores will afford desired functionality. The membranes will target selected applications, such as fuel cell reformers sized for Next Generation Vehicles, integrated mesoscopic power sources for micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS), as well as future portable energy sources.