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The separation processes are of paramount importance in the industrial field. The techniques used to obtain separation membranes depend on the type of membrane and the applications envisaged. Aim: The objective of the study is to focus on the master membrane allowing better pervaporation of the water-ethanol mixture by varying various parameters such as the polymer content, the polyacrylic acid (PAA) content and the operating variables such as the drying temperature and the stay in the oven. Materials: We fabricated membranes to separate water-ethanol mixtures by the pervaporation process. First, films based on polyvinyl alcohol and acid polyacrylics were prepared using the appropriate solvent (water) with different PAA contents. We then characterized these films using the technique of infrared spectroscopy and the measurement of swelling of these membranes in water / ethanol mixtures. Pervaporation tests were carried out to measure the selectivity and flow of these films with respect to the mixture. Results: All the membranes exhibit a higher permeation flux than that of pure PVA, especially when the PAA content is high. The selectivity to water of these crosslinked membranes, represented by the water content in the permeate is appreciable. Conclusion: The addition of PAA to PVA makes possible the improvement of swelling, the flow is improved as well as the water selectivity and the permeability of the membrane which makes the PVA-PAA alloy a simple and effective method to ensure dehydration of the Water-Ethanol mixture.

s: Despite the many services that natural rubber provides to humanity, its production generates significant quantities of polluted effluents which have a negative impact on health and the environment. In order to reduce this pollution and allow water to be reused after treatment, a synthetic effluent treatment trial was carried out in a submerged membrane bioreactor in the presence of two strains of yeast (Yarrowia lipolytica, Pichia guilliermondii) and biodegradation parameters (COD, NH4+, NO2-, NO3-) were followed. The Mohlman Index (MI), the particle size distribution, the Lowry method for proteins and the Dubois method for sugars have made it possible to characterize the sludge generated during biodegradation. It appears from these experiments that the reduction rate of COD was 98% and that of nitrification and denitrification 90%. There is a decreasing linear relationship between the MI and SS (Suspended Solids) with an R2 of 95%. The distribution of the particle size of the sludge is tri-modal with a maximum of sludge having an average size of 1000 µm. The sludge formed resists filtration with a polysaccharide/protein ratio of 0.45.

Oil and gas-producing countries are suffering from water resource depletion without any treatment or with technologies that have the same impact, regardless of how expensive or large a land area required. On the other hand, domestic wastewater also has many treatment technologies, and biological full cell is one of them. Using an end-of-tube hollow fiber membrane in domestic wastewater allows biological microorganisms to grout and treat the water, whereas using oil-filled water has not been studied so far. This study addresses the potential of biological growth on two different types of dead-end hollow fiber membranes by using three samples of oilfield water i.e., Membrane Aerated Biofilm Reactor OxyMem and MEMCOR® Ultrafiltration. The Membrane Bioreactor Systems are selected for the current studies and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) is used to show the biological growth on selected types of membrane to treat the oilfield wastewater. As a result, the growth in OxyMem is better which is 54% of COD removal and 55% NT removal for 55 days, whereas MEMCOR shows comparatively less growth in SEM results with 33% of COD removal and 9% NT removal during the same period. Therefore, this confirms that both types of membranes can be used to treat oilfield water in biological cells and noticed a better performance in OxyMem compared to MEMCOR.

In this work, the performance of composite membranes for the treatment of Chloramphenicol (CAP) pollutants was investigated from pharmaceutical industrial wastewater. The composite membrane was under operated with different concentrations of CAP with Titanium dioxide (TiO2) in 10mg/L, 20mg/L and 30 mg/L. The composite membranes were cross-linked with glutaraldehyde for the elimination of H2SO4. Characterizations of synthesized composite membranes were carried out to analyze functionality, morphology, and hydrophilic behaviours. In continuous operation, the different time intervals of TiO2 were removed in centrifuging. The performance of the composite membrane is the removal of pollutant CAP by UV analysis, and kinetics model at different concentrations. The degree of swelling and contact angle were measured in different concentrations of CAP at TiO2. Liquid Chromatography (LC) is used to CAP with Titanium dioxide mixtures. Mass Spectrometry (MS) can be used for structural identity with high specificity. The MS is also used to analyze CAP from pharmaceutical industrial wastewater. The membranes were subjected to filtration of pharmaceutical wastewater which gave a maximum rejection of 95% of Chloramphenicol.

The colored organic or inorganic chemical compounds which can impart colour to other substance are the Dyes which did significant applications in the most industrial sectors like the textile industry, leather industry, paper industry, plastic, foodstuff industry etc, to impart color to their products. Due to the large volume of dye use in these businesses, a significant quantity of wastewater containing colored organics is generated. Because of insufficient dye-fiber fixation, during the dyeing process, half of the dye is lost in the wastewater. Peanut and rice husk are used to absorb MB from water. Initial Methylene Blue concentration, Peanut and Rice Husk dose, and pH were monitored and compared to current adsorbents to identify the optimal removal conditions. The equilibrium amount of MB adsorbed at time t (min) for rice husk and peanut hull are obtained as 5.1 and 5.19 mg/g respectively. As part of the research, an intra-particle diffusion model was implemented to regulate the mass transfer model's rate-controlling step mechanism.

For increasing the efficiency of the omega-3 production, the effect of span-85 surfactant as a hydrophobic agent (0, 1, 2, 3 and 4 wt%) on the formation of a porous structure in a sub-layer PVDF membrane was studied. Also, the cross-sectional morphology of PVDF membranes was analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and the surface property was evaluated using contact angle test. The capacity of the membranes to concentrate omega-3 was examined by the filtration of lantern fish oil. Also, the fouling of the membrane caused by oil filtration was evaluated. All filtration tests were performed in batch mode. Results of the SEM images demonstrated that the addition of span-85 resulted in the forming of a membrane with a denser and more hydrophobic structure. The addition of 2 wt% span-85 increased the omega-3 concentration, while the higher level of span-85 showed a negative effect. The best efficiency of the membrane was 42.64 wt% which was obtained by PVDF/2 wt% span-85. This efficiency was about 11% higher than the control PVDF (0 wt%). Taken together, the presence of span-85 affected the phase inversion process during the membrane formation, which improved omega-3 concentration. Moreover, the more hydrophobic surface of the membrane resulted in higher cake formation.

Carbon membranes with excellent strength and mechanical stability were prepared using a cellulose precursor regenerated from an ionic liquid solution with a low loading of boehmite ceramic nanoparticles, ca. 0.1 wt. %. The precursor films show an asymmetrical structure while, after carbonization, the corresponding carbon molecular sieve membranes (c-CMSM) show a dense structure with a uniform thickness of ca. 22 µm. The c-CMSM exhibited excellent separation performance, well above the Robeson Upper Bound. The permeability of the c-CMSM to hydrogen increased from 300 to 530 barrer and the H2/CH4 permselectivity increased to 473, after adding boehmite nanoparticles. Boehmite nanoparticles act as a microporosity-forming agent without compromising the width of the ultramicropores. The prepared c-CMSM is extremely promising for several applications, namely for hydrogen recovery from methane – H2/CH4 (Robeson index:θ=13.5); biogas upgrading – CO2/CH4 (θ=6.5); CO2 removal from combustion flue gas – CO2/N2 (θ=1.7); and hydrogen recovery from ammonia processes – H2/N2 (θ=4.8).

Water contamination is a major challenge due to the discharging of wastes into the natural resources. In this study, a novel branched pore adsorption model was developed by utilizing external mass transfer coefficients, Kf , effective diffusivity, and lumped microspore diffusion rate parameters. This describes sorption kinetics from long-term adsorption that occurs between an adsorbent and an adsorbate. An investigation of the effects of dye concentration on Basic Blue 9 removal was conducted. Then by considering of initial and boundary conditions the government equations were solved. Using this model, the Basic Blue 9 (or methylene blue is an industrial inhibitor) was removed from a bentonite sample polluted by Basic Blue 9. The maximum adsorption capacity was achieved by using of Freundlich analysis. Based on the experimental data, theoretical concentration - time adjusted models were developed using a FORTRAN computer program to fit the experimental data more precisely and confirm the precision and accuracy of this research.

Membrane fouling is a serious matter in membrane operation that impacts the system's durability and cost. A noble fouling-resistant membrane was created to address this issue. A noble fouling-resistant membrane was made using copper oxide-graphene oxide (Cu2O-GO) and polyether sulfone. As copper has strong antimicrobial properties, the per-unit strength of graphene is the highest among the known materials in the world. The Cu2O-GO was incorporated into the polyether sulfone matrix using the phase inversion method. The effects of Cu2O-GO on the performance and antifouling properties of the membrane were investigated. The membrane structure and properties have also been characterized by using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy (EDS), and Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). The SEM and EDX tests were carried out on the 0.1 wt %, 0.5 wt %, and 1 wt% of Cu2O membranes. Membrane performance in terms of wastewater treatment and fouling resistance of the prepared mixed matrix membranes was also studied. This project shows a new direction in the research as not many studies using Cu2O-GO has been reported worldwide.

Wastewater treatment has become one of the most significant sources for irrigation and other activities in arid and semi-arid countries. Many conventional methods deal with different organic and inorganic compounds of wastewater. One of the most common is using activated carbon through an adsorption process to treat wastewater. Adsorption is used when the contaminants present in wastewater are removed using activated carbon as an adsorbent. This paper examines the results of experiments on removing organic and inorganic compounds using activated carbon prepared from waste tyres, banana trunks, tea leaves and date seeds. Moreover, studies state that activated carbon has a strong affinity for binding organic substances, even at low concentrations. Thus, it has become the premier method for treating organic-laden wastewater. This paper reveals a method to deal with contaminants in wastewater which is very effective. Various experimental tests were carried out to determine the adsorption capacity of the different activated carbon, expressed as percentage removal of Chemical Oxygen Demand, Total Suspended Solid, and Total Dissolved Solid, and the effects of pH, contact time and dosage. The surface area of the adsorbent, pore volume and an isothermal graph of the adsorbent were determined using BET (Brunauer-Emmett-Teller) Surface Area. Waste tyres (WT), date seeds (DS), tea leaves (TL) and banana trunk (BT) have 1260, 1144.52, 163.8 and 115.4 m2/g surface area with 1.62, 0.656, 0.066088 and 0.4566 cm3 of total pore volume respectively indicating the use of waste tyres as an adsorbent. The moisture and ash content percentages were also determined and it was found that the above adsorbents have 2.6%, 6.4%, 7.4% and 9% moisture content, with 3.6%, 6.2%, 6.9% and 12% ash content respectively.

This study concerns the assessment of the pollution generated by three industrial discharges produced by the Lesieur company in Ain Harrouda for the production of vegetable oils, such as process water (PWW), ACID wastewater (AWW), and refining wastewater. (RWW). This wastewater is heavily loaded with pollutants that could pose serious environmental problems. The concentrations of polluting matter in chemical oxygen demand (COD), Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD), and Total suspended solids (TSS), variable in time, could strongly influence the effectiveness of treatment with sludge currently used by Lesieur. In addition, process wastewater and refining wastewater are loaded with fats and oils with varied concentration between3700 and 6000 mg/l. At the same time, wastewater from leg breaking has a concentration varying between 1000 and 6000 mg/L. Additionally, leg-breaking water has a concentration of Total suspended solids (TSS) varying between 10,000 mg/L and 23,000 mg/L. In comparison, process wastewater and refining water have concentrations (TSS) ranging between 4500 mg/L and 8000 mg/L, related to turbidity exceeding 10000 NTU. Furthermore, COD fluctuates between 700 and 3,400 mg/L and suspended matter between 500 and 8,000 mg/L with average pollution loads of 114 and 358 kg/day, respectively. Indeed, the COD/BOD5 ratio for process wastewater varies between 3 and 7. On the other hand, for basic wastewater, this ratio varies between 3 and 20, which could be due to the quality of wastewater with high polyphenol content. Indeed, refining wastewater has a COD/BOD5 ratio that varies between 2 and 4, which shows that organic matter is biodegradable compared to other types of wastewater. The phenol concentration varies over time and goes from 20 to 125 mg/L, while the surfactants have a variable concentration of 20 and 127 mg/L over time, then increases during the summer, taking into account the increase in market demand.

Copper is one of the crucial materials for the biological activity of human beings and is known for antimicrobial properties during wound management. Hence its presence in the effluent is overlooked although it is reported to be detrimental at higher concentrations. Its effect on humans varies from simple dizziness, diarrhea to liver/kidney damage, etc. Various techniques are reported for separation of these toxic pollutants from effluent. This article focuses on development of polysulfone-based membranes with use of additives: polyethylene glycol (PEG) and ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) (nascent and modified with HCl) for separation of copper from effluent by Donnan Exclusion principle. The incorporation of acid treated ZnO NPs in membrane matrix provides surface charge to membrane. This results in repulsive interaction with copper salts from process which retained in retentate as per Donnan exclusion principle. The membrane formed with 40% PSF- 0.8% ZnO NPs shows the rejection of copper up to 40%, which raises to 61% when instead of nascent NPs, HCl treated NPs were used. The rejection efficiency of the membrane raises up to 90% when PEG was used along with PSF and ZnO NPs (acid treated). The use of modified NPs in membrane matrix has strong impact on membrane morphology and rejection efficiency. The modification of surface charge properties and morphological distribution of NPs is supported by FTIR and EDX. Further the separation works upon physical distribution of NPs, which would help to maintain the stability properties of PSF based membrane enhancing its applicability in actual process conditions.

In this study, barbital and triazone samples taken from surface water located in Manisa-İzmir Turkey were treated using a RO membrane reactor process. No significant effect of feed pressure on permeate flow rate was detected. An increase in barbital and triazone concentration did not significantly vary the permeate flow rate. No significant variations of barbital and triazone rejections were detected versus feed increasing pressure at constant barbital and triazone concentrations, and no significant effects of temperature increase on the rejections of barbital and triazone were detected. The effect of increasing feed pressure did not significantly correlate with e-water recovery (rejection) from the permeate and pollutant recoveries from the retentate. The total cost was calculated as Euros 0,306 to treat 1 m3 surface water from barbital and triazone.

A useful alternative to conventional plastic packaging manufactured from fossil fuels is packaging constructed of a biodegradable polymer. The final qualities of the chitosan cast films heavily depend on the type of plasticizer used and how it is incorporated into the chitosan-based material. This work investigates the synthesis of chitosan chemically grafted with succinic acid to improve the physical and mechanical properties of the film. The cortex of local shrimp was used to make a chitosan extract with a molecular weight of 2.702x105 g/mole and a deacetylation level of 80%. The chemically plasticized chitosan film was characterized by FTIR. It was found that chitosan and grafted chitosan film spectra were different from each other, implying the true grafting of succinic acid had occurred and the main backbone of the chitosan structure was unaffected. An examination of the mechanical properties of the films revealed that the results of the tensile strength measurement showed an improvement in the strength and %elongation at break for the chitosan grafted with succinic acid cast film for packaging, which is one of the potential applications for biodegradable chitosan.

Carbon membranes are a potentially attractive candidate for the in-situ removal of water vapor in CO2 hydrogenation reactions. Their hydrophilicity and pore structure can be tuned by properly adjusting the synthesis procedure. Herein, we assess the effect of the carbonization temperature (450–750°C) on the performance of supported CMSM in terms of vapor/gas separation, in correlation with changes in their surface functionality and porous structure. FTIR spectra showed that the nature of the functional groups changes with the evolution of the carbonization step, leading to a gradual loss in hydrophilicity (i.e., OH stretching disappears at Tcarb ≥ 600°C). The extent of water adsorption displays an optimum at Tcarb of 500°C, with the membrane carbonized at 650°C being the least hydrophilic. We found that the pore size distribution strongly influences the water permeance. At all Tcarb, adsorption-diffusion (AD) is the dominant transport mechanisms. However, as soon as ultra-micropores appear (Tcarb: 600–700°C) molecular sieving (MS) contributes to an increase in the water permeance, despites a loss in hydrophilicity. At Tcarb ≥ 750°C, MS pores disappear, causing a drop in the water permeance. Finally, the permeance of different gases (N2, H2, CO, CO2) is mostly affected by the pore size distribution, with MS being the dominant mechanism over the AD, except for CO2. However, the extent and mechanism of gas permeation drastically change as a function of the water content in the feed, indicating that gas/vapor molecules need to compete to access the pores of the membranes.

The applications of carbon membranes are becoming more important than ever due to their resilient mechanical strength, stability, and separation performance. The production of carbon membranes involves a suitable precursor that is being subjective to a pyrolysis process under controlled operating conditions that will result a porous structure to be utilized in many different separation applications. Thus, by understanding the preparation aspects of this fabrication process, the product can be manipulated, to optimize the best preparation procedure for obtaining the desired properties of a given type of membrane. This paper reviews the preparation aspects of carbon membranes, that can be manipulated to enhance the overall separation performance.

The azeotropic characteristics of acetic acid between water make its separation from its aqueous phase essential. Many methods are studied for separating such a mixture. Solvent extraction using membrane contactors can increase the contact surface area. The dilute aqueous acetic acid extraction with the solvents petroleum ether and diisopropyl ether in a Poly Ether Sulfone (PES) hollow fiber membrane contactor was studied. The solvents and membrane extraction abilities are evaluated by exchanging the fluids on the shell and tube sides based on the distribution coefficients and total mass transfer coefficient at various flow rates. The findings show that when the solvent flow is increased, whether on the shell side or the tube side, the concentration of acetic acid increases in its solvent phase. As the shell side Reynolds number increased, it was noticed that the distribution coefficient value also increased. Both solvents' extraction ability was minimal, but diisopropyl ether gave better results when compared with the petroleum ether in terms of distribution coefficient. Three film resistance parameters in the series model have determined the overall mass transfer coefficient. The Reynolds number values showed that the mass transfer occurs in a laminar zone. Changes in the petroleum ether's Reynolds number on the tube side resulted in a maximum mass transfer coefficient of 11.41x10-6 m/s. Data on such hydrodynamics studies on membrane solvent extraction can help recover value-added material studies.

Some of the most promising membranes for O2/N2 gas separation (air separation) mentioned in literature so far are selected, in terms of meeting a O2-gas-production breakeven cost that is lower than that of competing air separation unit (ASU) technologies, based on latest reported technoeconomic studies. An overview regarding most important applications of O2 and N2 gases is first given, in respect with the demanded purity limits for each case, since the purity parameter is crucial in defining the minimum breakeven cost.

Separation of phenolic compounds mixture namely: phenol, resorcinol, Bisphenol A from dilute aqueous solutions by polymer inclusion membrane using Cellulose triacetate (CTA) as support was investigated as a means of recovering Bisphenol A from mixture of phenolic compounds. The effects of parameters influencing the separation performance were studied in terms of permeation flux and selectivity. For competitive transport of phenols across PIM with RC8 + NPOE, the selectivity order was Bisphenol > Phenol > Resorcinol. The high permselectivity of the membrane to Bisphenol A was primarily due to its high affinity towards calixresorcinarene macrocycle. This is of particular interest from an industrial point of view because the enriched phenol permeate can be easily recovered upon phase separation. The prepared PIM were characterized by using Raman spectroscopy, XPS and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) techniques. Keywords: PIM, CTA, Membrane separation, Phenols mixture, Bisphenol A, Wastewater treatment.

As an alternative living cell membrane, sodium dodecyl sulfide (SDS) has been investigated at this study, spectroscopic assessment of Finasteride diffusion through the alternate model of the cell membrane in two distinct polar solutions, buffer phosphate solution pH 7.4 and Cyclohexane(Non-polar solution), has been studied. Finasteride in buffer phosphate solution showed a definite ?max at 253 nm, which was consistent with the default values. The results also reveal that the non-polar medium has a lower attenuation coefficient and a shorter maximum wavelength than the polar medium. The pH 7.4 finasteride solution demonstrated remarkable stability over time. Diffusion rate of Finasteride was investigated using Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate (SDS) as an alternative cell membrane model. The chemical potential was determined to be - 6294.76 J mol-1, showing the spontaneity of the compound's diffusion process. The results indicated that Finasteride may diffuse (at a rate constant of 51.11 min-1) from the aqueous media and other identified components to the inner micelle; the equilibrium constant for diffusion was calculated to be 11.5. Keywords: Finasteride, Diffusion, Chemical potential, SDS, Alternative model, Cell membrane.

The recycling of depleted high global warming mixtures of fluorinated gases (F-gases) with close-boiling or azeotropic behavior requires advanced separation processes to obtain effectively the pure components. Herein, several types of PIM-1 membranes were tested for the first time towards the separation of hydrofluorocarbons and hydrofluoroolefins, showing extraordinarily high permeability coefficients for the value-added difluoromethane (R-32), up to 4100 barrer, coupled with high selectivity for the F-gas pairs of interest. Additionally, the solubility of selected F-gases in PIM-1 was measured and fitted to the dual-mode and Guggenheim, Anderson and de Boer sorption models. The separation performance of the standard PIM-1 and a highly branched PIM-1 was examined with the mixture R-410A (containing R-32 and pentafluoroethane R-125) to assess the influence of the membrane topology on the mixed-gas permeation properties over time (physical aging). Considering that the branched PIM-1 membrane was the least impacted by the aging phenomena, it was used to recover high purity R-32 (concentration in the permeate side as high as 98.9 vol % was achieved) from refrigerant gas mixtures R-410A and R-454B (mixture of R-32 and R-1234yf) in continuous long-term experiments. Results showed the great potential of PIM-1 membranes for the separation of R-32 from refrigerant mixtures collected from end-of-life equipment. This research is supported by project PID2019-105827RB-I00 funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033. F.P. and S.V.G.H. acknowledge the support of the Spanish State Research Agency and the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (grants IJC2020-043134-I and PRE2020-093568, respectively). A.B.F and P.M.B acknowledge EPSRC Grant ep/v047078/1 (SynHiSel). P.G. is supported by Grant RYC2019-027060-I funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and by “ESF Investing in your future”.

Efficient recovery of ammonium, a valuable nutrient, from dilute streams is still an unsolved challenge. One possible approach to separate and simultaneously concentrate ammonium from low concentration streams is Donnan dialysis. To design a process, a mass transport model was utilized for both plate and frame and hollow fiber modules and compared to experiments. The chosen model was based on film theory, accounting for mass transport resistances in the liquid as well as the membrane phase to allow for a complete investigation of mass transfer limitations. Experimental data for the flux of ammonium and potassium using flat sheet Nafion-115 and FujiFilm type-2 and hollow fiber Nafion membranes was predicted very well by the model for several flow conditions and concentrations. The two stage ammonium removal could be predicted accurately from a starting concentration over two orders of magnitude in concentration. For the hollow fiber module case, liquid phase resistances on the draw side were more substantial vs. plate and frame due to the lower velocity. Both plate and frame and hollow fiber modules showed similar transport rates, up to 1[mol/(m2·h)]. In the investigated, non-optimized, laboratory system, an 80% removal of ammonium was achieved with a processing flow of 12.5 [L/(m2·h)].

So-called specific ion effects strongly impact physicochemical phenomena in among others, morphologies of polymeric membranes. This can be correlated to the identity of the ions, rather than just to their charge or concentration. We use this effect to tune the properties of layer-by-layer membranes prepared with the polyelectrolytes polydiallyldimethylammonium chloride and polystyrene sodium sulfonate. To systematically study this, membranes were prepared using different salts (NaBr, NH4Cl, MgCl2, NaCl, LiCl, MgSO4, NaH2PO4, (NH4)2SO4, Na2SO4). The specific ion effects were evaluated thanks to the classification of salts and PEs into kosmotropes (well hydrated) and chaotropes (poorly hydrated) following the law of matching water affinities (LMWA). The impact of the type of anions and cations on the multilayer formation and membrane performances was evaluated. Membranes prepared with kosmotropic salts achieved stable performances after only 4 bilayers, and almost 6 times higher water permeabilities than membranes prepared with chaotropic salts without compromising and often even improving the membrane's size exclusion behaviour. The salts used tuned the membranes charge: Kosmotropic salts delivered negatively charged membranes with Na2SO4 and MgCl2 retentions till 97% and 10% respectively, while chaotropic salts formed more positively charged membranes with reversed behaviour with Na2SO4 and MgCl2 rejection of 20 and 89%.

Although giant membrane vesicles prepared from paraformaldehyde-treated mammalian cells have been used to elucidate lipid and protein dynamics on the cell surface, there are few studies that have used them as a tool to deliver drugs to cells. Here we found that anti-cancer drug doxorubicin (Dox) was efficiently incorporated into and stably retained in giant membrane vesicles prepared from HeLa human cervical cancer cells. Intriguingly, coincubation of Dox-enclosed giant membrane vesicles with human pancreatic cancer-derived PK-59 and gastric cancer-derived KE-39 cells led to cell death. Microscopic observation of vesicle-docked cells revealed that docking of at least one to a few Dox-enclosed giant vesicles on the cellular cortex was sufficient to induce cell death, suggesting applicability of cell-derived giant membrane vesicles as an efficient drug delivery vector in cultured cell systems.