Journal
ACS NANO
Volume 14, Issue 9, Pages 10894-10916Publisher
AMER CHEMICAL SOC
DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.0c05753
Keywords
biomimetic membrane; molecular sieving; reverse osmosis; desalination; aquaporin; carbon nanotube; water purification; nanochannel; vesicle; stopped-flow
Categories
Funding
- National Science Foundation through the Engineering Research Center for Nanotechnology-Enabled Water Treatment [EEC1449500, CBET 1437630]
- National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program [DGE-1752134]
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Transmembrane protein channels, including ion channels and aquaporins that are responsible for fast and selective transport of water, have inspired membrane scientists to exploit and mimic their performance in membrane technologies. These biomimetic membranes comprise discrete nanochannels aligned within amphiphilic matrices on a robust support. While biological components have been used directly, extensive work has also been conducted to produce stable synthetic mimics of protein channels and lipid bilayers. However, the experimental performance of biomimetic membranes remains far below that of biological membranes. In this review, we critically assess the status and potential of biomimetic desalination membranes. We first review channel chemistries and their transport behavior, identifying key characteristics to optimize water permeability and salt rejection. We compare various channel types within an industrial context, considering transport performance, processability, and stability. Through a re-examination of previous vesicular stopped-flow studies, we demonstrate that incorrect permeability equations result in an overestimation of the water permeability of nanochannels. We find in particular that the most optimized aquaporin-bearing bilayer had a pure water permeability of 2.1 L m(-2 )h(-1) bar(-1), which is comparable to that of current state-of-the-art polymeric desalination membranes. Through a quantitative assessment of biomimetic membrane formats, we analytically show that formats incorporating intact vesicles offer minimal benefit, whereas planar biomimetic selective layers could allow for dramatically improved salt rejections. We then show that the persistence of nanoscale defects explains observed subpar performance. We conclude with a discussion on optimal strategies for minimizing these defects, which could enable breakthrough performance.
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