Membranes comprising cellulosic material and hydrophilic block copolymer (V)

1. A porous membrane comprising a cellulosic material and a block copolymer of the formula: A-B-A (I) or A-B (II),

wherein block A is:

(v) a copolymer of glycidol and allyl glycidyl ether, wherein one or more of the allyl groups of the copolymer have been replaced with a group of the formula: —(CH 2 ) a —S—(CH 2 ) b —X, wherein a is 3 and b is 1 to 3, and X is selected from an acidic group, a basic group, a cation, an anion, a zwitterion, halo, hydroxyl, acyl, acyloxy, alkylthio, alkoxy, aldehydo, amido, carbamoyl, ureido, cyano, nitro, epoxy, a group of the formula —C(H)(COOH)(NH 2 ), and a group of the formula —C(H)(COOH)(NHAc), or a salt thereof; and

block B is an aromatic hydrophobic polymeric segment.

2. The porous membrane of claim 1 , wherein the cellulosic material is a cellulosic polymer, cellulosic oligomer, or cellulosic monomer.

3. The porous membrane of claim 1 , wherein the cellulosic material is selected from cellulose, cellulose ethers, cellulose esters, cellulose amides, cellulose amines, and cellulose carbamates.

4. The porous membrane of claim 2 , wherein the cellulosic polymer is selected from cellulose, methyl cellulose, ethyl cellulose, propyl cellulose, hydroxyethyl methyl cellulose, hydroxyethyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, cellulose acetate, cellulose nitrate, and cyanoethyl cellulose.

5. The porous membrane of claim 1 , wherein block A is a hydrophilic polymeric segment comprising polyglycerol.

6. The porous membrane of claim 5 , wherein block A is a hydrophilic polymeric segment comprising polyglycerol having one or more repeat units of the formulas:

7. The porous membrane of claim 1 , wherein block A is (v) a copolymer of glycidol and allyl glycidyl ether, wherein one or more of the allyl groups of the copolymer have been replaced with a group of the formula: —(CH 2 ) a —S—(CH 2 ) b —X, wherein a is 3 and b is 1 to 3, and X is selected from an acidic group, a basic group, a cation, an anion, a zwitterion, hydroxyl, or a salt thereof.

8. The porous membrane of claim 1 , wherein the aromatic hydrophobic polymeric segment is selected from polysulfone, polyethersulfone, polyphenylene ether, polyphenylene oxide, polycarbonate, poly(phthalazinone ether sulfone ketone), polyether ketone, polyether ether ketone, polyether ketone ketone, polyimide, polyetherimide, and polyamide-imide.

9. The porous membrane of claim 8 , wherein the aromatic hydrophobic polymeric segment is polyethersulfone.

10. The porous membrane of claim 1 , wherein block A is present in an amount of about 20% to about 50 mol % and block B is present in an amount of about 50% to about 80 mol %.

11. The porous membrane of claim 1 , wherein the block copolymer of formula (I) has the structure:

wherein R is allyl and/or —(CH 2 ) b —X, wherein b is 1 to 3, and n is about 10 to about 1000.

12. The porous membrane of claim 11 , wherein R is —(CH 2 ) b —X.

13. The porous membrane of claim 11 , wherein X is selected from amino, dimethylamino, —CH 2 CH 2 SO 3 H, —CH 2 CH 2 CH 2 SO 3 H, —CH 2 CO 2 H, and —CH 2 CH 2 N + (CH 3 ) 3 , and combinations thereof.

14. The porous membrane of claim 11 , wherein the copolymer of formula (I) has one of the following structures:

wherein n is about 10 to about 1000.

15. A method of preparing a porous membrane according to claim 1 , comprising:

(i) providing a polymer solution comprising a solvent, said cellulosic material, and said block copolymer;

(ii) casting the polymer solution as a thin film;

(iii) subjecting the thin film to phase inversion to obtain a porous membrane;

(iv) optionally washing the porous membrane; and

(v) optionally increasing the number of hydroxyl groups on the cellulosic material present in the porous membrane if the cellulosic material is a cellulose derivative.