Ligand bound MBP membranes, uses and method of manufacturing

1. A self-assembled polymer material comprising:

at least one of mesopores or micropores; and

wherein at least some of the mesopores are isoporous; and/or

wherein at least some of the micropores are isoporous;

a macroporous continuous domain comprising mesoporous walls;

at least one multi-block polymer comprising at least two of the chemically distinct polymer blocks;

wherein at least one polymer block of the multi-block polymer is a hydrophobic block;

wherein at least one polymer block of the multi-block polymer is a hydrophilic block;

wherein at least one polymer block of the multi-block polymer is covalently modified with a linking moiety,

wherein an affinity ligand is covalently bound to the linking moiety; and

wherein the affinity ligand is a protein; and

wherein the affinity ligand can bind a target species.

2. The self-assembled polymer material of claim 1 , wherein the material is asymmetric.

3. The self-assembled polymer material of claim 1 , wherein the multi-block polymer is a three-dimensional block terpolymer structure encompassing hierarchical porosity.

4. The self-assembled polymer material of claim 1 , wherein one of the at least two chemically distinct polymer blocks comprises poly((4-vinyl)pyridine).

5. The self-assembled polymer material of claim 1 , wherein the linking moiety is formed by activating the multi-block polymer surface with a carbodiimide.

6. The self-assembled polymer material of claim 1 , wherein more than one of the polymer blocks comprise the affinity ligand and linking moiety.

7. The self-assembled polymer material of claim 1 , wherein the affinity ligand comprises more than one affinity ligand.

8. An article containing the self-assembled polymer material of claim 1 , comprising the material immobilized on a support material to provide mechanical stability.

9. An article containing the self-assembled polymer material of claim 1 , comprising the material integrated with a textile.

10. A sensor comprising the self-assembled polymer material of claim 1 .

11. A device comprising the self-assembled polymer material of claim 1 in which the self-assembled polymer material is formed into a pleated pack, as flat sheets in a crossflow cassette or module, or in a spiral wound module.

12. A process of separating and/or detecting an analyte of interest, the method comprising:

contacting a medium comprising the analyte of interest with the self-assembled polymer material of claim 1 .

13. The process of claim 12 , wherein the analyte of interest is a protein.

14. The process of claim 12 wherein the separating comprises bind-and-elute operations where the analyte is a target species and is bound to the affinity ligand to isolate it, wherein the target species can be unbound from the material to record the target species.

15. The process of claim 12 , wherein the analyte comprises a nucleic acid.

16. A method of detecting an analyte, the method comprising:

contacting a sensor with the analyte; and

measuring an optical/electrical change as a result of an interaction between the analyte or species of interest and the affinity ligand;

wherein the sensor comprises the self-assembled polymer material of claim 1 ; and

wherein the contacting the sensor is contacting the self-assembled polymer material.

17. A process utilizing a device according to claim 11 for the separation of molecules or suspended particles, the process comprising:

binding the molecules or suspended particles to the self-assembled polymer material;

eluting the molecules or suspended particles from the self-assembled polymer material; and

wherein the binding and the eluting are carried out by filtration.