Silsesquioxane (SQ) membranes derived from 3-methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane and bis(trimethoxysilyl)ethane were successfully fabricated at low temperature via photo-induced sol-gel processing. Radical and cationic polymerization of SQ membranes showed high degrees of separation factor and permeance for water/isopropanol separation in pervaporation.

Organically-bridged silsesquioxane membranes are fabricated onto a polymeric nanofiltration membrane via photo-induced sol–gel processing and their molecular separation performance are investigated through pervaporation of azeotropic mixture.