Separation of H2 and CO2 Containing Mixtures with Mixed Matrix Membranes Based on Layered Materials

Some membrane separation processes are gradually taking over conventional processes such as distillation, evaporation or crystallization as the technology progresses from bench-scale tests to large-scale prototypes. However, membranes for H2 and CO2 separation constitute a daring technology still under development. This overview focuses on mixed matrix membranes (MMMs), a special type of membranes in which a filler is dispersed in a polymer matrix, as a successful strategy to improve their permeability-selectivity performance while keeping the polymer processability. In particular, among all the possible fillers for MMMs, layered materials (porous zeolites and titanosilicates and graphite derivatives) are discussed in detail due to the several advantages they offer regarding selective microporosity, crystallinity and, what is most important, high specific surface area and aspect ratio. In fact, a selective and as thin as possible, i.e. with high aspect ratio, filler would help to develop high performance MMMs

Green and fast strategies for energy-efficient preparation of the covalent organic framework TpPa-1

Three synthesis procedures for the covalent-organic framework (COF) TpPa-1 are studied with the purpose of setting up the most promising one in a fast and green way, leading to a more environmentally friendly and sustainable process. With conventional heating, good crystallinity and a high BET specific surface area (SSA) of up to 1007 m2 ⋅ g−1 are achieved at 170 °C for 3 days using water as the quintessential green solvent. However, the application of microwave radiation in the synthesis for this crystalline porous polymer allows reaction times to be shortened to 30 min while maintaining structural and textural properties (BET SSA of 928 m2 ⋅ g−1) and obtaining yields close to 98 % (vs. 90 % in the hydrothermal synthesis). The water-assisted mechanochemical synthesis is also an environmentally friendly synthetic approach; with heating at 170 °C in a two-step process (10+10 min), high crystallinity is achieved, a BET SSA of 960  m2 ⋅ g−1 and a yield of 98 % for TpPa-1

Effect of freezing conservation time on loquat (Eriobotrya japonica) pollen germination

[EN] Aim of study: Several studies point out that storage at -20 ºC is a suitable method for preserving pollen of many species in the long term. Part of those studies indicate the total storage time at which these conditions are optimal. However, we have found a lack of information about the freezing time conditions and incubation temperature of loquat pollen. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of the -20 ºC conservation temperature on loquat (Eriobotrya japonica (Thunb.) Lindl.) pollen. Area of study: The study was conducted in Montserrat (Valencia, Spain). Material and methods: Loquat flowers were collected in November 2017 and stored at -20 ºC for three time periods: 4 (T1), 6 (T2) and 8 (T3) months. Subsequently, pollen grains were incubated at different temperatures for 72 h. We analyzed (i) the effect of freezing conservation time; (ii) the effect of incubation temperature on germination; (iii) the interaction between these two factors. Main results: T1 showed higher germination percentage and tube length values (mean and maximum) than T2 and T3. The highest germination percentage (52.77%) was detected for T1 at an incubation temperature of 25 ºC. The interaction between freezing time and incubation temperature showed more consistent results for T1 than for T2 and T3. Research highlights: This suggests that storing at -20 ºC for more than 4 months affects pollen grain and reduces germination and pollen growth. Therefore, -20 ºC loquat pollen storage should not exceed 4 months.Asociacion Club de Variedades Vegetales Protegidas, as a part of a project undertaken with the Universitat Politecnica de Valencia UPV-20190822.Beltrán, R.; Cebrián, N.; Zornoza, C.; Garmendia, A.; Merle Farinós, HB. (2020). Effect of freezing conservation time on loquat (Eriobotrya japonica) pollen germination. Spanish Journal of Agricultural Research. 18(3):1-10. https://doi.org/10.5424/sjar/2020183-16626S110183Acar I, Kakani VG, 2010. The effects of temperature on in vitro pollen germination and pollen tube growth of Pistacia spp. Sci Hort 125 (4): 569-572.Agustí M, 2010. Fruticultura. Mundi-Prensa Libros. Madrid, Spain. 507 pp.Ahmed S, Rattanpal HS, Ahmad E, Singh G, 2017. Influence of storage duration and storage temperature on in-vitro pollen germination of Citrus species. Int J Curr Microbiol Appl Sci 6 (5): 892-902.Beltrán R, Valls A, Cebrián N, Zornoza C, García Breijo F, Reig Armiñana J, Garmendia A, Merle H, 2019. Effect of temperature on pollen germination for several Rosaceae species: influence of freezing conservation time on germination patterns. Peer J 7: e8195.Blasco M, Badenes ML, Naval MM, 2016. Induced parthenogenesis by gamma-irradiated pollen in loquat for haploid production. Breed Sci 66 (4): 606-612.Bolat İ, Pirlak L, 1999. An investigation on pollen viability, germination and tube growth in some stone fruits. Turk J Agric For 23 (4): 383-388.Brewbaker JL, Kwack BH, 1963. The essential role of calcium ion in pollen germination and pollen tube growth. Am J Bot 50: 859-865.Caballero P, Fernández MA, 2002. Loquat, production and market. Opt Med 58: 11-20.Carrera L, Sanzol J, Herrero M, Hormaza JI, 2009. Genomic characterization of self-incompatibility ribonucleases (S-RNases) in loquat (Eriobotrya japonica Lindl.) (Rosaceae, Pyrinae). Mol Breeding 23 (4): 539.Cerović R, Ružić D, 1992. Pollen tube growth in sour cherry (Prunus cerasus L.) at different temperatures. J Hortic Sci 67 (3): 333-340.Cuevas J, Hueso JJ, Puertas M, 2003. Pollination requirements of loquat (Eriobotrya japonica Lindl.), cv.Algerie'. Fruits 58 (3): 157-165.Demirkeser TH, Caliskan O, Polat AA, Ozgen M, Serce S, 2007. Effect of natural lipid on pollen germination and pollen tube growth on loquat. Asian J Plant Sci 6 (2): 304-307.Distefano G, Hedhly A, Las Casas G, La Malfa S, Herrero M, Gentile A, 2012. Male-female interaction and temperature variation affect pollen performance in Citrus. Sci Hort 140: 1-7.Egea J, Burgos L, Zoroa N, Egea L, 1992. Influence of temperature on the in vitro germination of pollen of apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.). J Hortic Sci 67 (2): 247-250.Freihat NM, Al-Ghzawi AAM, Zaitoun S, Alqudah A, 2008. Fruit set and quality of loquats (Eriobotrya japonica) as effected by pollinations under sub-humid Mediterranean. Sci Hort 117 (1): 58-62.Germanà MA, Chiancone B, Guarda NL, Testillano PS, Risueño MC, 2006. Development of multicellular pollen of Eriobotrya japonica Lindl. through anther culture. Plant Sci 171 (6): 718-725.Hedhly A, Hormaza JI, Herrero M, 2004. Effect of temperature on pollen tube kinetics and dynamics in sweet cherry Prunus avium (Rosaceae). Am J Bot 91 (4): 558-564.Hedhly A, Hormaza JI, Herrero M, 2005. The effect of temperature on pollen germination, pollen tube growth, and stigmatic receptivity in peach. Plant Biol 7: 476-483.Kakani VG, Prasad PVV, Craufurd PQ, Wheeler TR, 2002. Response of in vitro pollen germination and pollen tube growth of groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) genotypes to temperature. Plant Cell Environ 25 (12): 1651-1661.Kakani VG, Reddy KR, Koti S, Wallace TP, Prasad PVV, Reddy VR, Zhao D, 2005. Differences in in vitro pollen germination and pollen tube growth of cotton cultivars in response to high temperature. Ann Bot 96 (1): 59-67.Khan SA, Perveen A, 2006. Germination capacity of stored pollen of Solanum melongena L. (Solanaceae) and their maintenance. Pak J Bot 38 (4): 917-920.Khan SA, Perveen A, 2010. In vitro pollen germination capacity of Citrullus lanatus L. (Cucurbitaceae). Pak J Bot 42: 681-684.Khan SA, Perveen A, 2011. Pollen germination capacity and viability in Lagenaria siceraria (Molina) Standley (Cucurbitaceae). Pak J Bot 43 (2): 827-830.Khan SA, Perveen A, 2014. In vitro pollen germination of five citrus species. Pak J Bot 46 (3): 951-956.Köppen W, Geiger R, 1936. Das Geographische System der Klimate. Borntraeger Science Publishers. BerlinMendiburu F, 2019. Agricolae: Statistical procedures for agricultural research. R package version 1.3-0. https://CRAN.R-project.org/package=agricolae.Mesejo C, Martínez-Fuentes A, Reig C, Rivas F, Agustí M, 2006. The inhibitory effect of CuSO4 on Citrus pollen tuve growth and its application for the production of seedless fruit. Plant Sci 170: 37-43.Perveen A, Khan SA, 2008. Maintenance of pollen germination capacity of Malus pumila L. (Rosaceae). Pak J Bot 40 (3): 963-966.Pirlak L, 2002. The effects of temperature on pollen germination and pollen tube growth of apricot and sweet cherry. Gartenbauwissenschaft 67 (2): 61-64.Qin Y, Qun-Xian D, Yong-Qing W, Lu L, Yan F, Ying-Hong L, Lian T, Shi-Feng L, 2008. Study on characteristics of in situ pollen germination and pollen tube growth of loquat. Plant Sci Res 1 (3): 50-55.R Core Team, 2017. R: A language and environment for statistical computing. R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna.RStudio Team, 2016. RStudio: Integrated Development for R. RStudio, Inc., Boston, MA, USA. http://www.rstudio.com/Reddy KR, Kakani VG, 2007. Screening Capsicum species of different origins for high temperature tolerance by in vitro pollen germination and pollen tube length. Sci Hort 112 (2): 130-135.Reig C, Mesejo C, Martínez-Fuentes A, Agustí M. 2014. Naphthaleneacetic acid impairs ovule fertilization and early embryo development in loquat (Eriobotrya japonica Lindl.). Sci Hort 165: 246-251.Sanzol J, Herrero M, 2001. The "effective pollination period" in fruit trees. Sci Hort 90: 1-17.Seyrek UA, Qu X, Huang C, Tao J, Zhong M, Wu H, Xu X, 2016. Influence of storage time on pollen traits in Actinidia eriantha. Agric Sci 7 (6): 373.Sharafi Y, 2011. In vitro pollen germination in stone fruit tree of Rosaceae family. Afr J Agr Res 6 (28): 6021-6026.Sharafi Y, Motallebbi-Aza AR, Bahmani A, 2011. In vitro pollen germination, pollen tube growth and longevity in some genotypes of loquat (Eriobotrya japonica Lindl.). Afr J Biotechnol 10 (41): 8064-8069.Sharpe RH, 2010. Loquat: botany and horticulture. Hortic Rev 23: 233-276.Sorkheh K, Shiran B, Rouhi V, Khodambashi M, Wolukau JN, Ercisli S, 2011. Response of in vitro pollen germination and pollen tube growth of almond (Prunus dulcis Mill.) to temperature, polyamines and polyamine synthesis inhibitor. Biochem Syst Ecol 39 (4-6): 749-757.Sorkheh K, Azimkhani R, Mehri N, Chaleshtori MH, Halász J, Ercisli S, Koubouris GC, 2018. Interactive effects of temperature and genotype on almond (Prunus dulcis L.) pollen germination and tube length. Sci Hort 227: 162-168.Towil LE, 2010. Long-term pollen storage. Plant Breed Rev 13: 179-207.Vasilakakis M, Porlingis IC, 1985. Effect of temperature on pollen germination, pollen tube growth, effective pollination period, and fruit set of pear. Hortscience 20: 733-735.Weinbaum SA, Parfitt DE, Polito VS, 1984. Differential cold sensitivity of pollen grain germination in two Prunus species. Euphytica 33: 419-426.Yang Q, Fu Y, Wang YQ, Deng QX, Tao L, Yan J, Luo N, 2011. Effects of simulated rain on pollen-stigma adhesion and fertilisation in loquat (Eriobotrya japonica Lindl.). J Hortic Sci Biotech 86 (3): 221-224.Yang Q, Wang YQ, Fu Y, Deng QX, Tao L, 2012. Effects of biological factors on fruit and seed set in loquat (Eriobotrya japonica Lindl.). Afr J Agr Res 7 (38): 5303-5311

Estudio de las condiciones de síntesis de compuestos orgánicos covalentes para su incorporación a membranas mixtas

Las estructuras orgánicas covalentes (COF) porosas se plantean como alternativa a las zeolitas o estructuras metalorgánicas porosas (MOF), debido a su naturaleza totalmente orgánica que permite mejorar la compatibilidad con una matriz polimérica en su aplicación en membranas de matriz mixta (MMM). Los COF se sintetizar mediante métodos en condiciones relativamente extremas (elevadas temperaturas, atmósferas inertes, disolventes orgánicos agresivos, etc.) que hace que sea un gran reto llevar estos materiales a aplicaciones de carácter industrial. La finalidad de este proyecto es sintetizar un COF, concretamente el TpPa-1, en condiciones menos agresivas para el medio ambiente y que puedan utilizarse para la preparación de MMM.<br /

Microfluidic preparation of thin film composite hollow fiber membrane modules for water nanofiltration: Up-scaling, reproducibility and MOF based layers

Background The commercialization of thin film composite (TFC) hollow fiber (HF) membranes remains challenging owing to issues associated with membrane manufacturing. Methods TFC membranes were synthesized by microfluidic interfacial polymerization of polyamide (PA) on polysulfone hollow fiber (HF) membrane modules. A total of 33 HF membrane modules were prepared with different number of HFs (from 1 to 25) and different lengths (from 10 to 50 cm). They were evaluated in a nanofiltration operation in terms of water permeance and rose Bengal (RB) and MgSO4 rejections. Significant findings Among the 33 modules, 73% showed RB rejections higher than 95%, while 36% of the modules reached rejections above 99%. During the membrane synthesis, different parameters, such as PA monomer concentration, residence time and reaction time, were studied. As a result, the amount of monomer was reduced by ca. 80%. The versatility of microfluidics allowed incorporating hydrophilic metal-organic framework (MOF) ZIF-93 to produce HF modules with PA/MOF bilayered membranes (a continuous layer of MOF between the support and the PA film) which led to an important enhancement of the water permeance from 1.3 (bare PA membrane) to 5.3 L·m−2·h−1·bar−1 (PA/ZIF-93 HF membrane), maintaining RB rejection above 95%

Metal-organic framework MIL-101(Cr) based mixed matrix membranes for esterification of ethanol and acetic acid in a membrane reactor

Mixed matrix membranes (MMMs) based on the polyimide Matrimid® (PI) with metal-organic framework (MOF) MIL-101(Cr) as porous nanostructured filler were synthesized and applied as separation element in a membrane reactor to carry out the esterification of acetic acid with ethanol. The MMMs were characterized by techniques including X-ray diffraction, IR spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. In order to compare the performance of MIL-101(Cr)-PI MMMs in the membrane reactor, pure PI and HKUST-1-PI membranes were also used. MMMs provided a better reactor performance than the bare PI membrane because of the increase in permeability associated to the presence of MOF as filler. The PI membrane reactor barely achieved the same conversion as a fixed bed reactor, while the MIL- 101(Cr)-PI membrane showed a reactor performance similar to that of the HKUST-1-PI membrane with higher stability, as confirmed by membrane characterization after the reaction experiments

Gibberellic acid in Citrus spp. flowering and fruiting: A systematic review

[EN] Background In Citrus spp., gibberellic acid (GA) has been proposed to improve different processes related to crop cycle and yield. Accordingly, many studies have been published about how GA affects flowering and fruiting. Nevertheless, some such evidence is contradictory and the use of GA applications by farmers are still confusing and lack the expected results. Purpose This review aims to collate, present, analyze and synthesize the most relevant empirical evidence to answer the following questions: (i) how does gibberellic acid act on flowering and fruiting of citrus trees?; (ii) why is all this knowledge sometimes not correctly used by farmers to solve yield problems relating to flowering and fruit set? Methods An extensive literature search to obtain a large number of records about the topic was done. Searches were done in five databases: WoS, Scopus, Google Academics, PubMed and Scielo. The search string used was "Gibberellic acid" AND "Citrus". Records were classified into 11 groups according to the development process they referred to and initial data extraction was done. Records related with flowering and fruit set were drawn, and full texts were screened. Fifty-eight full text records were selected for the final data extraction. Results Selected studies were published from 1959 to 2017 and were published mainly in Spain, USA, Brazil and Japan. Twelve species were studied, and Citrus sinensis, C. reticulata and C. unshiu were the principal ones. Most publications with pre-flowering treatments agreed that GA decreases flowering, while only 3 out of 18 did not observe any effect. In most of these studies, the effect on fruit set and yield was not evaluated. Studies with treatments at full bloom or some weeks later mostly reported increased fruit set. However, these increases did not imply higher yields. The results on yield were highly erratic as we found increases, decreases, no effects or variable effects. Conclusions Despite some limitations, the action of GA related to cell division and growth, stimulating the sink ability of the organ and discouraging its abscission, has been clearly established through reviewed studies. GA applications before flowering counteract the floral induction caused by stress reducing flowering. However, on adult trees under field conditions, reducing flowering by applying GA would be difficult because it would be necessary to previously estimate the natural floral induction of trees. During flowering and fruit set, many problems may arise that limit production. Only when the problem is lack of fruit set stimulus can GA applications improve yields. However, much evidence suggests that the main factor-limiting yield would be carbohydrate availability rather than GA levels. GA applications increased fruit set (often transiently), but this increase did not mean improved yields.This research was supported by the Asociacion Club de Variedades Vegetales Protegidas as part of a project undertaken with the Universitat Politecnica de Valencia (Spain, UPV 20170673), of which Merle H, was the principal researcher. There was no additional external funding received for this study.Garmendia, A.; Beltrán, R.; Zornoza, C.; García-Breijo, F.; Reig, J.; Merle Farinós, HB. (2019). Gibberellic acid in Citrus spp. flowering and fruiting: A systematic review. PLoS ONE. 14(9):1-24. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0223147S124149Kende, H., & Zeevaart, J. (1997). The Five «Classical» Plant Hormones. The Plant Cell, 1197-1210. doi:10.1105/tpc.9.7.1197Roux, S. le, & Barry, G. H. (2010). Vegetative Growth Responses of Citrus Nursery Trees to Various Growth Retardants. HortTechnology, 20(1), 197-201. doi:10.21273/horttech.20.1.197Tan, M., Song, J., & Deng, X. (2007). 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Beyond the H2/CO2 upper bound: one-step crystallization and separation of nano-sized ZIF-11 by centrifugation and its application in mixed matrix membranes

The synthesis of nano-sized ZIF-11 with an average size of 36 ± 6 nm is reported. This material has been named nano-zeolitic imidazolate framework-11 (nZIF-11). It has the same chemical composition and thermal stability and analogous H2 and CO2 adsorption properties to the conventional microcrystalline ZIF-11 (i.e. 1.9 ± 0.9 μm). nZIF-11 has been obtained following the centrifugation route, typically used for solid separation, as a fast new technique (pioneering for MOFs) for obtaining nanomaterials where the temperature, time and rotation speed can easily be controlled. Compared to the traditional synthesis consisting of stirring + separation, the reaction time was lowered from several hours to a few minutes when using this centrifugation synthesis technique. Employing the same reaction time (2, 5 or 10 min), micro-sized ZIF-11 was obtained using the traditional synthesis while nano-scale ZIF-11 was achieved only by using centrifugation synthesis. The small particle size obtained for nZIF-11 allowed the use of the wet MOF sample as a colloidal suspension stable in chloroform. This helped to prepare mixed matrix membranes (MMMs) by direct addition of the membrane polymer (polyimide Matrimid®) to the colloidal suspension, avoiding particle agglomeration resulting from drying. The MMMs were tested for H2/CO2 separation, improving the pure polymer membrane performance, with permeation values of 95.9 Barrer of H2 and a H2/CO2 separation selectivity of 4.4 at 35 °C. When measured at 200 °C, these values increased to 535 Barrer and 9.1.Financial support from the Spanish MINECO (MAT2013-40566-R, CTQ2012-31762, and RyC-2009-03913), the Aragón Government and the ESF is gratefully acknowledged. In addition, research leading to these results has received funding from the European Union Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007–2013) under grant agreement no. 608490, project M4CO2. Finally, the use of the Servicio General de Apoyo a la Investigación-SAI (Universidad de Zaragoza) is acknowledged

Hippocampal Dopamine Receptors Modulate the Motor Activation and the Increase in Dopamine Levels in the Rat Nucleus Accumbens Evoked by Chemical Stimulation of the Ventral Hippocampus

A number of studies have shown that chemical stimulation (using N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) infusions) or electrical stimulation of the ventral hippocampus (VH) elicits locomotor activation and sustained increases in nucleus accumbens (NAc) dopamine (DA) levels in rodents. How DA neurotransmission in NAc is involved in these effects has also been well established. However, the modulatory role of the DA receptors located in VH is not yet fully understood. The purpose of this study was to characterize the role played by VH D1 and D2 subtype receptors in both the locomotor activation and NAc DA increases induced by NMDA stimulation of the VH. This was assessed by studying how retrodialysis application of NMDA (50 mM, 10 min) affects motor activity and NAc DA levels during simultaneous retrodialysis administration of the D1/D5 receptor antagonist SCH 23390 (100 and 250 μM, 60 min) or the D2 receptor antagonist raclopride (100 and 250 μM, 60 min). SCH 23390 attenuated or completely abolished NMDA-evoked locomotor activation and the concurrent increase in NAc DA levels. On the other hand, raclopride was initially able to attenuate the effects of VH NMDA stimulation. However, in the last phase of the experiments, animals showed an important increase in clonic seizure activity with a simultaneous and dramatic increase in NAc DA levels. Our results show that the NMDA receptor-mediated effects in the VH require both D1 and, probably, D2 receptors and suggest that DA in VH strongly modulates the excitatory outputs from this brain area

Membranas híbridas polímero-material nanoestructurado poroso para la separación de mezclas gaseosas

La presente tesis doctoral titulada "Membranas híbridas polímero-material nanoestructurado poroso para la separación de mezclas gaseosas" se ha llevado a cabo en el Departamento de Ingeniería Química y Tecnologías del Medio Ambiente y en el Instituto de Nanociencia de Aragón (INA) de la Universidad de Zaragoza. En estas dos entidades se ha trabajado dentro del Grupo de Catálisis, Separaciones Moleculares e Ingeniería de Reactores (CREG), y en éste, en el subgrupo dedicado al desarrollo y modificación de materiales nanoestructurados y membranas. En el contexto industrial actual, los procesos de membrana han recibido una atención considerable como tecnología atractiva para las separaciones de mezclas gaseosas y para los procesos de purificación de gases. En este sentido, la tecnología de membranas podría representar una alternativa de separación interesante a nivel comercial debido a su alta eficiencia, procesamiento sencillo, fácil control y naturaleza compacta, además de un menor coste operacional y energético en comparación con los procesos tradicionales de separación (como pueden ser la adsorción, la condensación a baja temperatura o la destilación criogénica, entre otros). Sin embargo, existe un compromiso entre los parámetros clave en la separación de gases: permeabilidad y factor de separación, ya que éste último disminuye al incrementar la permeabilidad del componente gaseoso transportado selectivamente. Entre las diferentes aplicaciones de las membranas para separación de gases la presente tesis doctoral se ha centrado en la purificación de hidrógeno (H2/CH4), la captura de dióxido de carbono de mezclas gaseosas (CO2/N2 y CO2/CH4) y la producción enriquecida de oxígeno y nitrógeno del aire (O2/N2), todas de gran importancia en el sector energético y medioambiental. Las membranas mixtas (MMMs) presentan la ventaja de combinar los aspectos positivos de las dos fases: las superiores propiedades de transporte y mayor estabilidad química y térmica de los tamices moleculares con las deseables propiedades mecánicas, bajo precio y fácil procesamiento industrial de los polímeros. En este sentido, la idea de mezclar estas dos fases podría conducir a una mejora en términos de eficiencia selectiva en la separación de gases con objeto de alcanzar la región atractiva industrialmente. Algunos de los polímeros usados con membranas ya se han modificado con la incorporación de materiales porosos tales como zeolitas, sílice mesoporosa ordenada, sílice no porosa, tamices moleculares de carbón, nanotubos de carbono, compuestos organometálicos porosos (MOFs), etc., para alcanzar valores de selectividad mayores a una permeación dada. Sin embargo, para lograr una limitada mejora, la carga inorgánica utilizada suele ser excesiva. Esto es así porque el material ni tiene el tamaño de poro y compatibilidad adecuados con la fase orgánica, ni tiene el tamaño ni morfología deseable, ni está disperso de una forma homogénea en la matriz polimérica, aspectos a estudiar en este trabajo de tesis doctoral. Para salvar estas limitaciones, los desafíos actuales a los que se enfrentan las investigaciones sobre MMMs están relacionados con la búsqueda de materiales prometedores alternativos a los empleados convencionalmente que ayuden a mitigar los problemas interfaciales entre la matriz orgánica e inorgánica con el fin de alcanzar el rendimiento en la separación deseado. Esta investigación abarca el estudio de materiales nanoestructurados porosos especiales con morfologías adecuadas que permitan un buen contacto entre las fases y una dispersión homogénea en la matriz polimérica, obteniendo las posibles sinergias entre ellos. El plan de trabajo desarrollado se muestra a continuación: 1) Síntesis y caracterización de los diferentes materiales nanoestructurados porosos: a) Materiales mesoporosos ordenados (con estructura tipo MCM-41): esferas de sílice mesoporosa y funcionalización superficial b) Zeolitas: esferas huecas de silicalita-1, cristales y nanopartículas (semillas) de silicalita-1 c) MOFs: HKUST-1 y ZIF-8 (comerciales) y NH2-MIL-53 (estudio de las condiciones de síntesis con diferentes metales y procedimientos) d) Combinación de sílice-zeolita y MOF-zeolita en la misma membrana polimérica 2) Síntesis y estudio de las propiedades de los diferentes polímeros termorrígidos: a) Comerciales polisulfona Udel® y poliimida Matrimid® b) Sintetizados 6FDA-DAM y 6FDA-4MPD:DABA (4:1), con prestaciones funcionales adaptadas a las necesidades específicas 3) Estudio de las condiciones de preparación de membranas híbridas a partir de los diferentes materiales inorgánicos y orgánicos 4) Caracterización de las membranas poliméricas e híbridas con diversas técnicas 5) Medidas de adsorción de los materiales y permeabilidades individuales de gases de las membranas preparadas a diferentes presiones y temperaturas 6) Aplicación de las MMMs para la separación de mezclas binarias equimolares gaseosas de interés energético y medioambiental: H2/CH4, CO2/N2, O2/N2 y CO2/CH4. Obtención del porcentaje de carga inorgánica embebida en la matriz polimérica que maximice el rendimiento permeoselectivo de las MMM