Nanoporous Polyethylene Membranes for Glucose Sensors

Abstract

AbstractNanoporous membranes prepared from various materials have elicited a great deal of interest because nanosized pores provide selectivity for molecules and atoms. Such nanoporous membranes are preferable for application in downsized medical devices including implantable sensors. Here, we applied a series of nanoporous membranes prepared from polyethylene-block-polystyrene precursor for separating vital nano-particles, i.e. glucose and albumin. Different nanoporous morphologies were obtainable by varying the preparation conditions of the membrane with a thickness of a few tens of micrometers. The prepared membranes exhibit excellent flexibility and toughness compared to conventional nanoporous membranes of brittle alumina. All of these nanoporous membranes prepared in this study let glucose pass through, indicating a continuous pore connection through the entire thickness of the membrane. In contrast, membranes prepared under optimum conditions could perfectly block albumin permeation. This means that these vital nanoparticles having different sizes can be selectively diffused using such nanoporous polymer membranes.KeywordsNanoporouspolyethylenemembraneglucose sensor