ULTRA-PERMEABLE MEMBRANES FOR GAS SEPARATION

This invention relates to a monomer including (i) a poly(alkylene) oxide backbone having 20 to 1000 carbon atoms and 10 to 500 oxygen atoms, the carbon/oxygen ratio being 1:1 to 10:1; (ii) one to one hundred poly(alkylene) oxide side chains attached to the backbone, wherein each chain has 10 to 500 carbon atoms and 5 to 250 oxygen atoms, the carbon/oxygen ratio being 1:1 to 10:1; and (iii) one to eight cross-linking groups also attached to the backbone, each cross linking group having two to four binding moieties. This monomer is capable of cross-linking other monomers having the same structural features to form a polymer via its binding moieties and the binding moieties of the other monomers. The thus-formed polymer has increased permeability for H2 and CO2 and selectively for the gas pair CO2/H2.