Regulation of molecular transport in polymer membranes with voltage-controlled pore size at the angstrom scale

ABSTRACT: Polymer membranes have been used extensively for Angstrom-scale separation of solutes and molecules. However, the pore size of most polymer membranes has been considered an intrinsic membrane property that cannot be adjusted in operation by applied stimuli. In this work, we show that the pore size of an electrically conductive polyamide membrane can be modulated by an applied voltage in the presence of electrolyte via a mechanism called electrically induced osmotic swelling. Under applied voltage, the highly charged polyamide layer concentrates counter ions in the polymer network via Donnan equilibrium and creates a sizeable osmotic pressure to enlarge the free volume and the effective pore size. The relation between membrane potential and pore size can be quantitatively described using th

SUBMITTER: Zhu Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10130050 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature