New composite membranes based on porous anodic alumina films and polymer of intrinsic microporosity (PIM-1) have been prepared using a spin-coating technique. According to scanning electron microscopy, partial penetration of polymer into the pores of alumina supports takes place giving rise to selective polymeric layers with fiber-like microstructure. Geometric confinement of rigid PIM-1 in the channels of anodic alumina causes reduction of small-scale mobility in polymeric chains. As a result, transport of permanent gases, such as CH₄, becomes significantly hindered across composite membranes. Contrary, the transport of condensable gases (CO₂, С₄H₁₀), did not significantly suffer from the confinement due to high solubility in the polymer matrix. This strategy enables enhancement of selectivity towards CO₂ and C₄H₁₀ without significant loss of the membrane performance and seems to be prospective for drain and sweetening of natural gas.

In this study, we report the influence of carbon-based spacer-oxidized derivatives of fullerenes (fullerenols) C₆₀(OH)_26–32 and graphene oxide nanoribbons on the performance and pressure stability of graphene-oxide-based composite membranes. The impact of the intercalant shape and composition on the permeance of the selective layers for water vapors has been studied under pressure gradients. It is shown that the insertion of ball-shaped fullerenols between graphene oxide nanoflakes allows a suppression in irreversible permeance loss to 2–4.5% and reversible permeance loss to <25% (at 0.1 MPa), while retaining large H₂O/N₂ selectivities of up to ~30,000. The demonstrated approach opens avenues for the highly effective stabilization of GO membranes at elevated pressures for industrial-scale dehumidification.