Bioinspired nanochannels based on polymeric membranes

Abstract

Bio-nanochannels in living organisms participate in the physiological activities by selectively transporting ions through cell membranes. The structure and function of biological ion channels inspire the development of artificial ion nanochannels with practical applications. The bioinspired nanochannels based on polymer materials present good mechanical stability, high-performance ion transport and designability, which have attracted much attention. In this review, we mainly focus on the fabrication and application of polymer-based biomimetic nanochannels especially in environmentally responsive biosensor and energy conversion. We firstly introduce the basic understanding of nanochannels in ion regulation and osmotic energy conversion. Then, we discuss the fabrication methods of polymer-based nanochannels and highlight their advantages compared with other materials. The practical applications of polymer-based biomimetic nanochannels, especially in energy conversion and environmentally responsive biosensor, are detailedly discussed. Finally, we summarize the unsolved problems in bioinspired nanochannels and overview the further developing direction in this field.