Carbon Nanotube Porins in Amphiphilic Block Copolymers as Fully Synthetic Mimics of Biological Membranes

• DOI: 10.1002/adma.201803355
• Publication Date: 2018-10-28T19:15:14Z
• Authors: Jeremy R. Sanborn; Xi Chen; Yun‐Chiao Yao; Joshua A. Hammons; Ramya H. Tunuguntla; Yuliang Zhang; Christina C. Newcomb; Jennifer A. Soltis; James J. De Yoreo; Anthony Van Buuren; Atul N. Parikh; Aleksandr Noy
• Keywords: Nanotubes, Carbon; Polymers; Porins; Membranes, Artificial; Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions; 01 natural sciences; 0104 chemical sciences

Abstract Biological membranes provide a fascinating example of separation system that is multifunctional, tunable, precise, and efficient. Biomimetic membranes, which mimic the architecture cellular have potential to deliver significant improvements in specificity permeability. Here, fully synthetic biomimetic membrane reported incorporates ultra‐efficient 1.5 nm diameter carbon nanotube porin (CNTPs) channels block‐copolymer matrix. It demonstrated CNTPs maintain high proton water permeability these membranes. can also behavior biological gap junctions by forming bridges between vesicular compartments allow transport small molecules.