Metal-induced microporous aminosilica creates a highly permeable gas-separation membrane

Hybrid microporous aminosilica membranes have been successfully synthesizedviadoping with Ag-, Cu- and Ni-into dense bis[3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl] amine (BTPA) membranes, which creates microporesviathe crosslinking between donor pairs of electrons in the amine moiety and electron acceptors in the empty “d” orbital of a transition metal.