Membranes with 1-100 nm nanopores are widely used in water purification and in biotechnology, but are prone to blockage and fouling. Reversibly assembled nanoporous membranes may be advantageous due to recyclability, cleaning, and retentate recovery, as well as the ability to tune the pore size. We report the preparation and characterization of size-selective nanoporous membranes with controlled thickness, area, and pore size via reversible assembly of polymer brush-grafted ("hairy") silica nanoparticles. We describe membranes reversibly assembled from silica particles grafted with (1) polymer brushes carrying acidic and basic groups, and (2) polymer brushes carrying neutral groups. The former are stable in most organic solvents and easily disassemble in water, whereas the latter are water-stable and disassemble in organic solvents.

This article summarizes a recently developed approach for the preparation of membrane materials by the self-assembly of inorganic, polymeric or hybrid nanoparticles, with the focus on functional membranes possessing permselectivity. Two types of such membranes are discussed, those possessing size and charge selectivity suitable for ultra- and nanofiltration and chemoselective separation, and those possessing proton or lithium transport properties suitable for fuel cell and lithium battery applications, respectively. This article describes the preparation methods of nanoparticle membranes, as well as their mechanical, molecular, and ionic transport properties.

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