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Updated: Jan 30, 2026

Characterization of Intra-Cartilage Transport Properties of Cationic Peptide Carriers
Published on: August 10, 2020
Hyperfast Water Transport through Biomimetic Nanochannels from Peptide-Attached (pR)-pillar[5]arene
Qing Li1, Xuesong Li1, Lulu Ning1
1Singapore Membrane Technology Centre, Nanyang Environment and Water Research Institute, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, 637141, Singapore.
Abstract:
Synthetic water channels offer great promise to replace natural aquaporins (AQPs) for making new-generation biomimetic membranes for water treatment. However, the water permeability of the current synthetic water channels is still far below that of AQPs. Here, peptide-attached (pR)-pillar[5]arene (pR-PH) channels are reported to mimic the high permeability of AQPs. It is demonstrated that the pR-PH channels with an open pore can transport water smoothly and efficiently. The pR-PH channels are competitive with AQPs in terms of water permeability and are much superior to diastereomer peptide-attached (pS)-pillar[5]arene (pS-PH) and other reported synthetic water channels. The exceptional water-transport properties of the pR-PH channels are further demonstrated in a composite polymeric membrane that incorporates the nanochannels into the top selective layer. This membrane gives a significantly improved water flux while retaining high salt rejection. The results establish a tangible foundation for developing highly efficient artificial water channel-based biomimetic membrane for water purification applications.
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