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Updated: May 14, 2026

Membrane Transport Processes Analyzed by a Highly Parallel Nanopore Chip System at Single Protein Resolution
Published on: August 16, 2016
Nernst-Planck model of photo-triggered, pH-tunable ionic transport through nanopores functionalized with "caged"
Saima Nasir1, Patricio Ramirez, Mubarak Ali
1Department of Material- and Geo-Sciences, Materials Analysis, Technische Universität Darmstadt, D-64287 Darmstadt, Germany.
Abstract:
We describe the fabrication of asymmetric nanopores sensitive to ultraviolet (UV) light, and give a detailed account of the divalent ionic transport through these pores using a theoretical model based on the Nernst-Planck equations. The pore surface is decorated with lysine chains having pH-sensitive (amine and carboxylic acid) moieties that are caged with photo-labile 4,5-dimethoxy-2-nitrobenzyl (NVOC) groups. The uncharged hydrophobic NVOC groups are removed using UV irradiation, leading to the generation of hydrophilic "uncaged" amphoteric groups on the pore surface. We demonstrate experimentally that polymer membranes containing single pore and arrays of asymmetric nanopores can be employed for the pH-controlled transport of ionic and molecular analytes. Comparison between theory and experiment allows for understanding the individual properties of the phototriggered nanopores, and provides also useful clues for the design and fabrication of multipore membranes to be used in practical applications.
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