Advanced membranes from interpenetrating polymer networks

The entanglement of two or more polymer networks can be conceptualized in such a way that they are concatenated without the presence of chemical bonds binding these two polymers to each other. This concept has been achieved in interpenetrating polymer networks (IPNs), which exhibit various unique properties, such as mechanical robustness, chemical stability, and tunable property. Accordingly, owing to these distinctive properties, IPNs have emerged as suitable candidates for various applications. To control the properties of IPNs, the use of two polymer networks has proven to be an effective method. In this chapter, IPNs are defined, and their types and fabrication processes are described. Further, the utilization of IPNs in the fabrication of advanced membrane and its applications in gas separation, water purification, nonaqueous separation, and batteries are elaborated. Last, the summary of the current state of IPNs-based membranes along with future outlooks are discussed.