Membrane separation science has enjoyed tremendous progress since the first synthesis of membranes almost 40 years ago, which was driven by strong technological needs and commercial expectations. As a result, the range of successful applications of membranes and membrane processes is continuously broadening. An additional change lies in the nature of membranes, which is now extended to include liquid and gaseous materials, biological or synthetic. Membranes are understood to be thin barriers between two phases through which transport can take place under the action of a driving force, typically a pressure difference and generally a chemical or electrical potential difference.

An attempt at functional classification of membranes would have to include diverse categories such as gas separation, pervaporation, reverse osmosis, micro- and ultrafiltration, and biomedical separations. The dominant application of membranes is certainly the separation of mixed phases or fluids, homogeneous or heterogeneous. Separation of a mixture can be achieved if the difference in the transport coefficients of the components of interest is sufficiently large. Membranes can also be used in applications other than separation targeting: They can be employed in catalytic reactors, energy storage and conversion systems, as key components of artificial organs, as supports for electrodes, or even to control the rate of release of both useful and dangerous species.

In order to meet the requirements posed by the aforementioned applications, membranes must combine several structural and functional properties.