HIGHLY CROSSLINKED HYBRID POLYIMIDE-SILSESQUIOXANE MEMBRANES

Gaseous molecules, such as H2, CO2and CH4, can be separated using a hybrid organic-inorganic polyimide network membrane, wherein the polyimide contains bis-imide units of formula 1wherein A represents an organic moiety having 2-22 carbon atoms; or corresponding tris-imide groups,wherein a nitrogen atom of two or more of said bis-imide units is linked to a group Q of a polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) group of formula 3 QmR(2n-m)Si2nO3n.xH2O 3whereinQ is CpHqbound to a silicon atom,R is hydrogen, hydroxy or C1-C4alkyl, alkoxy, hydroxyalkyl, aminoalkyl or ammonioalkyl, bound to a silicon atom,m is from 2 up to 2n,n is from 2 up to 6,p = 1 to 6;q = 2(p - r) with r = 0, 1, 2 < p; andx is from 0 to 2n-1.