Abstract: An apparatus for gas separation a composite gas separation membrane having a gas separation layer disposed on a surface of a porous support. The gas separation layer has a plurality of gas permeable inorganic nano-particles embedded in a dense polymer forming substantially only discrete gas transport channels through the dense polymer layer, wherein direct fluid communication is provided from a feed side of the composite gas separator membrane to the porous support. Preferably, the inorganic nano-particles are porous molecular sieve particles, such as SAPO-34, ALPO-18, and Zeolite Y nano-particles.