3766 Synthetic Metals, 55-57 (1993) 3766-3773 ELECTRONICALLY CONDUCTIVE POLYMERS AS CHEMICALLY-SELECTIVE LAYERS FOR MEMBRANE-BASED SEPARATIONS C.R. MARTIN, W. LIANG, V. MENON, R. PARTHASARATHY, and A. PARTHASARATHY Department of Chemistry, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523 (USA) ABSTRACT We show that electronically conductive polymers are promising new materials for membrane-based separations, including gas separations and pervaporation. The approach we have taken is to use interfacial polymerization to synthesize thin films of the desired electronically conductive polymer (e.g. polypyrrole, poly(N-methylpyrrole), polyaniline) onto the surfaces of microporous support membranes. These interfacial polymerizations yield thin film composite membranes in which the microporous support provides the requisite mechanical strength and the conductive polymer provides the chemical selectivity. Results of gas-transport and pervaporation experiments on such conductive polymer-based thin film composite membranes will be described. INTRODUCTION There has recently been a tremendous resurgence of interest in synthetic polymer films and membranes (1-5). This resurgence is driven, in part, by the economic advantages inherent in membrane-based chemical separations (1-3), and by the recent development of polymeric materials with unique electronic and optical properties (4). We have been conducting research in both of these general areas; i.e. in developing new membranes for gas separations (3) and in exploring electronic conductivity in polymers (4). It occurred to us that there might be some benefit 0379-6779/93/$6.00 © 1993- Elsevier Sequoia. All rights reserved