1.D.201. The Artificial Fluorine-based Macrocyclic Channel (FMC) Family
Ultrafast water permeation in aquaporins is promoted by their hydrophobic interior surfaces. Polytetrafluoroethylene has a dense fluorine surface, leading to its strong water repellence. Itoh et al. 2022 reported a series of fluorous oligoamide nanorings with interior diameters ranging from 0.9 to 1.9 nanometers. These nanorings undergo supramolecular polymerization in phospholipid bilayer membranes to form fluorous nanochannels, the interior walls of which are densely covered with fluorine atoms. The nanochannel with the smallest diameter exhibits a water permeation flux that is two orders of magnitude greater than those of aquaporins and carbon nanotubes. These nanochannels exhibits negligible chloride ion (Cl-) permeability caused by a powerful electrostatic barrier provided by the electrostatically negative fluorous interior surface. Thus, this nanochannel is expected to show nearly perfect salt reflectance for desalination (Itoh et al. 2022).
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