@article{1462aafe5df0426f878666e159e43883,
title = "Artificial water channels enable fast and selective water permeation through water-wire networks",
abstract = "Artificial water channels are synthetic molecules that aim to mimic the structural and functional features of biological water channels (aquaporins). Here we report on a cluster-forming organic nanoarchitecture, peptide-appended hybrid[4]arene (PAH[4]), as a new class of artificial water channels. Fluorescence experiments and simulations demonstrated that PAH[4]s can form, through lateral diffusion, clusters in lipid membranes that provide synergistic membrane-spanning paths for a rapid and selective water permeation through water-wire networks. Quantitative transport studies revealed that PAH[4]s can transport >109 water molecules per second per molecule, which is comparable to aquaporin water channels. The performance of these channels exceeds the upper bound limit of current desalination membranes by a factor of ~104, as illustrated by the water/NaCl permeability–selectivity trade-off curve. PAH[4]{\textquoteright}s unique properties of a high water/solute permselectivity via cooperative water-wire formation could usher in an alternative design paradigm for permeable membrane materials in separations, energy production and barrier applications.",
author = "Woochul Song and Himanshu Joshi and Ratul Chowdhury and Najem, {Joseph S.} and Shen, {Yue xiao} and Chao Lang and Henderson, {Codey B.} and Tu, {Yu Ming} and Megan Farell and Pitz, {Megan E.} and Maranas, {Costas D.} and Cremer, {Paul S.} and Hickey, {Robert J.} and Sarles, {Stephen A.} and Hou, {Jun li} and Aleksei Aksimentiev and Manish Kumar",
note = "Funding Information: The authors acknowledge financial support from the National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER grant (CBET-1552571) to M.K. for this work. A.A. and H.J. acknowledge support from the National Science Foundation under grant DMR-1827346 and the National Institutes of Health under grant P41-GM104601. Additional support was provided by NSF grant CBET-1804836 to M.K. Supercomputer time was provided through XSEDE Allocation Grant no. MCA05S028 and the Blue Waters petascale supercomputer system at the University of Illinois at Urbana−Champaign. H.J. acknowledges the Government of India for the DST-Overseas Visiting Fellowship in Nano Science and Technology. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2019, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited.",
year = "2020",
month = jan,
day = "1",
doi = "10.1038/s41565-019-0586-8",
language = "English",
volume = "15",
pages = "73--79",
journal = "Nature Nanotechnology",
issn = "1748-3387",
number = "1",
}