Artificial water channels enable fast and selective water permeation through water-wire networks

Artificial water channels enable fast and selective water permeation through water-wire networks. Song, W., Joshi, H., Chowdhury, R., Najem, J., Shen, Y., Lang, C., Henderson, C., Tu, Y., Farell, M., Pitz, M., Maranas, C., Cremer, P., Hickey, R., Sarles, S., Hou, J., Aksimentiev, A., & Kumar, M. Nature Nanotechnology, 2020.
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© 2019, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited. Artificial water channels are synthetic molecules that aim to mimic the structural and functional features of biological water channels (aquaporins). Here we report on a cluster-forming organic nanoarchitecture, peptide-appended hybrid[4]arene (PAH[4]), as a new class of artificial water channels. Fluorescence experiments and simulations demonstrated that PAH[4]s can form, through lateral diffusion, clusters in lipid membranes that provide synergistic membrane-spanning paths for a rapid and selective water permeation through water-wire networks. Quantitative transport studies revealed that PAH[4]s can transport >109 water molecules per second per molecule, which is comparable to aquaporin water channels. The performance of these channels exceeds the upper bound limit of current desalination membranes by a factor of ~104, as illustrated by the water/NaCl permeability–selectivity trade-off curve. PAH[4]’s unique properties of a high water/solute permselectivity via cooperative water-wire formation could usher in an alternative design paradigm for permeable membrane materials in separations, energy production and barrier applications.

@article{
 title = {Artificial water channels enable fast and selective water permeation through water-wire networks},
 type = {article},
 year = {2020},
 volume = {15},
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 abstract = {© 2019, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited. Artificial water channels are synthetic molecules that aim to mimic the structural and functional features of biological water channels (aquaporins). Here we report on a cluster-forming organic nanoarchitecture, peptide-appended hybrid[4]arene (PAH[4]), as a new class of artificial water channels. Fluorescence experiments and simulations demonstrated that PAH[4]s can form, through lateral diffusion, clusters in lipid membranes that provide synergistic membrane-spanning paths for a rapid and selective water permeation through water-wire networks. Quantitative transport studies revealed that PAH[4]s can transport >109 water molecules per second per molecule, which is comparable to aquaporin water channels. The performance of these channels exceeds the upper bound limit of current desalination membranes by a factor of ~104, as illustrated by the water/NaCl permeability–selectivity trade-off curve. PAH[4]’s unique properties of a high water/solute permselectivity via cooperative water-wire formation could usher in an alternative design paradigm for permeable membrane materials in separations, energy production and barrier applications.},
 bibtype = {article},
 author = {Song, W. and Joshi, H. and Chowdhury, R. and Najem, J.S. and Shen, Y.-X. and Lang, C. and Henderson, C.B. and Tu, Y.-M. and Farell, M. and Pitz, M.E. and Maranas, C.D. and Cremer, P.S. and Hickey, R.J. and Sarles, S.A. and Hou, J.-L. and Aksimentiev, A. and Kumar, M.},
 doi = {10.1038/s41565-019-0586-8},
 journal = {Nature Nanotechnology},
 number = {1}
}

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