The present invention relates to a method and composition for producing a supported membrane. In one embodiment, the present invention relates to a method for producing a supported membrane comprising the steps: (i) providing a substrate coated with a monolayer having reactive functional groups; (ii) contacting the reactive groups with a linker compound to form a derivatized monolayer having covalently bonded linker moieties; and (iii) contacting the derivatized monolayer with a membrane solution to produce a supported membrane. In another embodiment, the present invention relates to a method for producing a supported membrane comprising the steps: (i) providing a substrate coated with a monolayer having reactive functional groups; (ii) activating the reactive functional groups on the monolayer coated substrate to form an activated monolayer; (iii) contacting the activated monolayer with a linker compound to form a derivatized monolayer having covalently bonded linker moieties; and (iv) contacting the derivatized monolayer with a membrane solution to produce a supported membrane. In yet another embodiment, the present invention relates to a method of producing a supported membrane comprising the steps: (i) providing a gold substrate coated with a monolayer having carboxylic acid groups; (ii) activating the carboxylic acid groups to form an activated monolayer having anhydride groups; (iii) contacting the activated monolayer with a linker compound to form a derivatized monolayer having covalently bonded linker moieties; and (iv) contacting a membrane solution with the derivatized monolayer to produce a supported membrane. In a further embodiment, the present invention relates to a supported membrane produced by any of the methods of the present invention.