Patent ID: 7045087

Claim:
A method for the assembly of a composite polymeric membrane comprising the steps of: (a) forming a composite polymeric membrane comprised of a plurality of layers, wherein at least one of said layers comprise a polymeric material and wherein each of said layers has average thickness of less than 100 nm, said composite polymeric membrane formed upon a substrate by the substeps of: (i) immersing said substrate in a first aqueous solution or dispersion of a first substance, said first substance having an affinity for said substrate, to form a first layer; (ii) rinsing said substrate with neat solvent; (iii) immersing said substrate in a second solution or dispersion of a second substance said second substance having an affinity for said first substance to form a second layer; (iv) rinsing said substrate with neat solvent; and (b) separating said substrate from said composite polymeric membrane, overcoming the affinity between said first layer of said first substance and said substrate while retaining the affinity between said first substance and said second substance in said additional layers.