含AQP仿生膜在水处理中的应用

水通道蛋白(aquaporin, AQP)是一种对水分子具有高选择性和渗透性的跨膜蛋白。近几年来,含AQP的仿生膜有望克服传统膜材料通量与截留率之间的上限平衡问题,因此,它在海水淡化和水处理领域的应用吸引了越来越多研究者的关注。本文对含AQP仿生渗透膜的制备方法及性能进行了综述,分别介绍了含AQP双层膜结构仿生膜和封装含AQP囊泡的仿生膜这两大类膜结构所对应的不同制备方法。同时,对含AQP仿生膜中膜结构的组成方式、装载AQP蛋白的囊泡材料、制膜过程中的操作条件等因素对膜结构和性能的影响进行了探究讨论。综合文中所述不同膜的膜性能,得出现阶段含AQP仿生膜还存在着膜面积小、膜机械强度不够高、AQP装载量较低及易受外界因素影响的缺陷,并提出在克服膜缺陷的同时寻找其他仿生水通道及离子通道的思路,使未来仿生膜获得更宽阔的发展道路。     

水通道蛋白启发下的人工水通道研究进展

受水通道蛋白(AQP)结构与功能启发,含有生物水通道或人工水通道(AWC)的仿生膜近年来取得了显著进展.借鉴AQP的传输特性,所制备的AWC获得了高度的选择性及水快速运输能力.通过对AQP的结构原型进行分析,对标AWC中H2O分子选择性和渗透特性,尝试提出了"门控效应"、"润湿效应"和"排队效应"3种效应,并对现有嵌入...     

水分子通道蛋白的结构与功能

水分子穿越双磷脂生物膜的输运机理是生理学和细胞生物学中一个长期未能解决的重要问题.AQP1水通道蛋白的发现和鉴定使得人们确认出一个新的蛋白质家族--水通道蛋白家族.正是这一蛋白家族的存在,使得水分子可以进行快速的跨膜传输.由晶体学方法解出的哺乳动物AQP1水通道蛋白的原子结构,最终揭示了水通道蛋白只允许水分子快速传输而阻挡其他的小分子和离子(包括质子H+)的筛选输运机理.本文概述了水通道蛋白的发现和其对水分子的筛选传输机理.     

水滑石基催化剂催化合成碳纳米材料的研究进展

碳纳米材料是一类推动能源存储、 多相催化、 高性能复合和生物医药等领域发展的重要材料, 可控合成碳纳米材料对相关领域的发展具有重要意义. 水滑石(LDHs)材料具有层板金属种类及含量可调等特点, 经焙烧、 还原后可制备出金属种类、 密度和粒径分布各异的高分散、 高稳定金属纳米催化剂, 可实现高效催化生长各种类型的碳纳米材料. 此外, 通过调控反应条件和反应器等, 可以影响LDHs基金属纳米催化剂催化生长的碳纳米材料的结构和性能. 本文总结了LDHs基金属纳米催化剂的可控制备、 碳纳米材料结构调控以及利用LDHs基催化剂制备的碳纳米材料的应用等方面的研究工作, 并阐明了催化剂的可控制备是控制合成碳纳米材料的核心手段, 这为利用LDHs基催化剂进一步合成更高性能碳纳米材料的研究指明了方向. 此外, 本文还结合近些年在光、 电及光热催化方面的研究进展, 展望了基于新型LDHs纳米结构生长碳纳米材料的研究前景.     

生物基碳包覆纳米材料(Mn,Co)的制备

提出了一种制备碳包覆纳米材料的新方法.以生物蛋白为前驱体材料，蛋白质肽链构成的空心结构作为合成碳包覆纳米材料的模板反应器;在热处理时，蛋白肽链发生分解,残留的碳作为碳源形成富勒烯类空心纳米材料的壳体，并将填充在蛋白质空心结构内部的金属材料包覆起来.以此技术制备了铁磁性金属锰和钴的碳包覆纳米级材料，初步验证是可行的.讨论了蛋白的矿化组装和蛋白的炭化反应机理.     

肽基纳米材料及其应用

近年来,肽类超分子自组装合成纳米材料受到了广泛研究和关注,已成为纳米材料科学研究的前沿领域之一。肽基纳米材料因其良好的生物相容性以及结构和功能的多样性,在材料学、组织工程、生物工程及药物传递等方面展示出巨大的应用潜力。本文综述了肽类自组装纳米材料制备的最新研究进展,重点介绍了疏水性二肽、类表面活性剂多肽、Aβ多肽片段、烷基链修饰多肽等通过非共价键作用自组装形成的不同结构的纳米材料,包括纳米管、纳米纤维、纳米囊/球、纳米水凝胶等;同时,介绍了多肽自组装机理模型及其分子动力学模拟方面取得的研究成果;最后总结了肽基纳米材料在金属/半导体材料、生物传感器、组织修复材料及药物传递等领域的应用现状及今后重点研究的方向。     

仿生高分子的研究进展*

本文介绍了近年来结构仿生高分子材料和功能仿生高分子材料方面的研究进展,介绍了生物材料的多级有序结构、智能水凝胶、仿荷叶表面、高分子在细胞培养和生物矿化等方面的研究结果,探讨了这一领域的可能发展方向.     

操控冰水:仿生抗冻蛋白研究进展*

抗冻蛋白是自然界娴熟操控(冰)水的分子识别的典范之一。抗冻蛋白的抗冻活性与其特殊结构有着十分密切的关系。作为目前最高效的生物抗冻剂,抗冻蛋白因其含量低、易变性失活,导致产量过低,亟待开发新的来源。近年来,模拟抗冻蛋白的研究工作吸引了科学家们的广泛关注,抗冻蛋白关键的结构特质:氢键作用、疏水性、冰晶吸附、“结构水”在各类仿生抗结冰材料中相继得以体现,对深入理解抗冻蛋白作用机制起到了重要的推动作用。综述了仿生抗冻蛋白在仿生抗结冰材料领域的研究进展,对基于仿生抗冻蛋白的仿生抗结冰材料的发展做出了展望。     

LDHs/碳复合纳米材料的催化性能研究进展

层状双金属氢氧化物(LDHs)是一类典型的结构可调的阴离子层状功能材料,直接或经焙烧、还原处理后可作为高活性、高稳定性、廉价的催化剂或催化剂载体应用到催化领域.碳纳米材料自身良好的力学、电学、化学性质使其可作为理想的功能组元构筑LDHs/碳复合纳米材料,进而增强催化性能.本文综述了由LDHs与碳材料构筑的复合纳米催化材料的设计、可控制备及其在电催化、光催化、催化加氢及氧化等多相催化领域的应用进展,并从材料的可控制备及应用方面讨论了LDHs/碳复合纳米材料在多相催化领域面临的挑战与发展前景.     

水凝胶仿生柔性电子学

水凝胶力学性质与生物组织相似,生物相容性好,在生物电子学领域具有独特的优势.受生物组织——如皮肤、神经、肌肉等启发,发展了具有仿生结构和功能的水凝胶材料.以这种水凝胶材料制作而成的柔性电子器件具有感知温度、压力、应变、电场等外界刺激的功能,可模拟生物组织的传感能力,在仿生电子皮肤,人工肌肉,人工神经等领域具有重要的应用...     

Combinatorial Screening of Water/Proton Permeation of Self-Assembled Pillar[5]arene Artificial Water Channel Libraries

Artificial water channels (AWCs) that selectively transport water and reject ions through bilayer membranes have potential to act as synthetic Aquaporins (AQPs). AWCs can have a similar osmotic permeability, better stability, with simpler manufacture on a larger-scale and have higher functional density and surface permeability when inserted into the membrane. Here, we report the screening of combinatorial libraries of symmetrical and unsymmetrical rim-functionalized PAs A – D that are able to transport ca. 10⁷–10⁸ water molecules/s/channel, which is within 1 order of magnitude of AQPs’ and show total ion and proton rejection. Among the four channels, C and D are 3–4 times more water permeable than A and B when inserted in bilayer membranes. The binary combinations of A – D with different molar ratios could be expressed as an independent (linear ABA ), a recessive (inhibition AB , AC , DB , ACA ), or a dominant (amplification, DBD ) behavior of the water net permeation events.     

Bis-Alkylureido Imidazole Artificial Water Channels

Nature creates aquaporins to effectively transport water, rejecting all ions including protons. Aquaporins (AQPs) has brought inspiration for the development of Artificial Water Channels (AWCs). Imidazole-quartet (I-quartet) was the first AWC that enabled to self-assemble a tubular backbone for rapid water and proton permeation with total ion rejection. Here, we report the discovery of bis-alkylureido imidazole compounds, which outperform the I-quartets by exhibiting ≈3 times higher net and single channel permeabilities (10⁷ H₂O/s/channel) and a ≈2–3 times lower proton conductance. The higher water conductance regime is associated to the high partition of more hydrophobic bis-alkylureido channels in the membrane and to their pore sizes, experiencing larger fluctuations, leading to an increase in the number of water molecules in the channel, with decreasing H-bonding connectivity. This new class of AWCs will open new pathways toward scalable membranes with enhanced water transport performances.     

Biomimetic Approach for Highly Selective Artificial Water Channels Based on Tubular Pillar[5]arene Dimers

Artificial water channels mimicking natural aquaporins (AQPs) can be used for selective and fast transport of water. Here, we quantify the transport performances of peralkyl-carboxylate-pillar[5]arenes dimers in bilayer membranes. They can transport ≈10⁷ water molecules/channel/second, within one order of magnitude of the transport rates of AQPs, rejecting Na⁺ and K⁺ cations. The dimers have a tubular structure, superposing pillar[5]arene pores of 5 Å diameter with twisted carboxy-phenyl pores of 2.8 Å diameter. This biomimetic platform, with variable pore dimensions within the same structure, offers size restriction reminiscent of natural proteins. It allows water molecules to selectively transit and prevents bigger hydrated cations from passing through the 2.8 Å pore. Molecular simulations prove that dimeric or multimeric honeycomb aggregates are stable in the membrane and form water pathways through the bilayer. Over time, a significant shift of the upper vs. lower layer occurs initiating new unexpected water permeation events through toroidal pores.     

The Unexpected Helical Supramolecular Assembly of a Simple Achiral Acetamide Tecton Generates Selective Water Channels

Achiral 2-hydroxy-N-(diphenylmethyl)acetamide (HNDPA) crystallizes in the P6₁ chiral space group as a hydrate, building up permeable chiral crystalline helical water channels. The crystallization-driven chiral self-resolution process is highly robust, with the same air-stable crystalline form readily obtained under a variety of conditions. Interestingly, the HNDPA supramolecular helix inner pore is filled by a helical water wire. The whole edifice is mainly stabilized by robust hydrogen bonds involving the HNDPA amide bonds and CH^…π interactions between the HNDPA phenyl groups. The crystalline structure shows breathing behavior, with completely reversible release and re-uptake of water inside the chiral channel under ambient conditions. Importantly, the HNDPA channel is able to transport water very efficiently and selectively under biomimetic conditions. With a permeability per channel of 3.3 million water molecules per second in large unilamellar vesicles (LUV) and total selectivity against NaCl, the HNDPA channel is a very promising functional nanomaterial for future applications.     

Remarkably Decreased CD11b Positive Splenocytes in Aquaporin 3-Null Mice

Aquaporins(AQPs) are molecular water channels that play important physiological roles in fluid transporting organs.The expression and function of AQPs in the immune system are largely unknown.CD11(a―d)/CD18 integrins are adhesion molecules expressed on leukocytes,which play a critical role in leukocyte adhesion,migration and host defense.In the present study,we discovered the expression of aquaporin-3(AQP3) on spleen CD11b positive cells,and the content of CD11b positive splenocytes in aquaporin 3-null mice is significantly decreased.Further analysis suggested remarkably decreased monocyte/macrophage subpopulation and significantly decreased granulocyte subpopulation.It is the first report suggesting an important role of AQP in the development and maturation of immunocytes.     

GST Fusion Protein Based Specific Polyclonal Antibody Preparation of Mouse Aquaporin 1

Aquaporins(AQPs) are specific membrane channels for water and other small nonionic molecules.In order to overcome the difficulties to generate the effictive antibody of membrane protein,we selected the cytoplasmic C-terminus of Aquaporin 1(AQP1) as an unique antigen.The long C-terminus of mouse AQP1 was overexpressed in the Glutathione S-tansferase Gene Fusion System.On the basis of the resonable amounts of soluable membrane protein peptides,we prepared the specific antibody.To pursure this object,we constr...     

Artificial Water Channels: Towards Biomimetic Membranes for Desalination

Natural Aquaporin (AQP) channels are efficient water translocating proteins, rejecting ions. Inspired by this masterpiece of nature, Artificial Water Channels (AWCs) with controlled functional structures, can be potentially used to mimic the AQPs to a certain extent, offering flexible avenues toward biomimetic membranes for water purification. The objective of this paper is to trace the historical development and significant advancements of current reported AWCs. Meanwhile, we attempt to reveal important structural insights and supramolecular self-assembly principles governing the selective water transport mechanisms, toward innovative AWC-based biomimetic membranes for desalination.