Abstract
Water scarcity is a growing threat worldwide, affecting billions of people due to factors like climate change and rising populations. Traditional methods of obtaining fresh water can be taxing on resources. However, advancements in purification and membrane technologies offer a glimmer of hope. These new methods can treat unconventional sources like seawater and wastewater, while also using less energy or relying on renewable sources like solar power. This technological leap could be a game-changer in providing clean water for people and agriculture in water-stressed regions.
A promising approach involves biomimetic technologies, specifically artificial water channels (AWCs), which emulate nature's energy-efficient desalination processes. Nature's ingenuity provides inspiration for designing innovative, efficient, and cost-effective desalination technologies. Aquaporins (AQPs) are protein-based membrane channels that regulate cellular osmotic pressure by efficiently transporting water across membrane bilayers while excluding hydrated ions (salts) and protons. With exceptional selectivity and high water transport rates (approximately 10 9 H 2 O molecules/second/ channel), AQPs have garnered significant interest in both academia and industry. Efforts have been made to incorporate them into artificial membranes for various water purification applications, including medical and desalination uses.
However, creating AQP-based membranes presents challenges due to their low stability under the high pressure and salinity conditions typical of desalination processes. As an alternative, bioinspired AWCs have been developed to overcome these limitations. AWCs offer several advantages, including lower production costs, high tunability, stability, and compatibility with membranes, as well as high pore packing density, which enhances membrane permeability.