Artificial water channels enable fast and selective water permeation through water-wire networks

• Published in: Nature nanotechnology Vol. 15; no. 1; pp. 73 - 79
• Main Authors: Song, Woochul, Joshi, Himanshu, Chowdhury, Ratul, Najem, Joseph S., Shen, Yue-xiao, Lang, Chao, Henderson, Codey B., Tu, Yu-Ming, Farell, Megan, Pitz, Megan E., Maranas, Costas D., Cremer, Paul S., Hickey, Robert J., Sarles, Stephen A., Hou, Jun-li, Aksimentiev, Aleksei, Kumar, Manish
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 01.01.2020; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: 639/638/541; 639/638/898; 639/766/747; 639/925/357; Aquaporins; Aquaporins - chemistry; Calixarenes - chemistry; Channels; Chemistry and Materials Science; Clustering; Desalination; Fluorescence; Lateral diffusion; Lipid membranes; Lipids; Materials Science; Membranes; Membranes, Artificial; Molecular Dynamics Simulation; Nanostructures - chemistry; Nanotechnology; Nanotechnology and Microengineering; Penetration; Peptides - chemistry; Permeability; Phenols - chemistry; Selectivity; Sodium chloride; Structure-function relationships; Transport; Upper bounds; Water - chemistry; Wire
• ISSN: 1748-3387; 1748-3395
• DOI: 10.1038/s41565-019-0586-8

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 >10 9 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 ~10 4 , as illustrated by the water/NaCl permeability–selectivity trade-off curve. PAH[4]’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. Cooperative water wires formed by clustering of artificial water channels enhance membrane permselectivity.