Membrane,synthetic potential

C.C. Chu, D.D. Sun, C.C. Chu, D.D. Sun, New electrospun synthetic biodegradable polyfester amide) drug-eluting fibrous membranes for potential wound treatment, in AATCC Symposium Proceedings on Medical, Nonwovens, and Technical Textiles, 2008, pp. 60-76. 

Biomass Viable (living) microorganisms used to achieve removal of organics through biotreatment. Biomimetic membrane A potential synthetic memhrane under development incorporating aquaporins (proteins functioning as water-selective channels in biological cell membranes) that results in superior water... 

Many complex systems have been spread on liquid interfaces for a variety of reasons. We begin this chapter with a discussion of the behavior of synthetic polymers at the liquid-air interface. Most of these systems are linear macromolecules however, rigid-rod polymers and more complex structures are of interest for potential optoelectronic applications. Biological macromolecules are spread at the liquid-vapor interface to fabricate sensors and other biomedical devices. In addition, the study of proteins at the air-water interface yields important information on enzymatic recognition, and membrane protein behavior. We touch on other biological systems, namely, phospholipids and cholesterol monolayers. These systems are so widely and routinely studied these days that they were also mentioned in some detail in Chapter IV. The closely related matter of bilayers and vesicles is also briefly addressed. 

A spinning molecule on a copper surface and a soccer-ball molecule tethered to a protein may seem no more useful than a spinning ice-skater or a tetherball. Nonetheless, advocates of nanotechnology cite a wealth of potential applications for this new field, including tailored synthetic membranes that can collect specific toxins from industrial waste and computers that process data much faster than today s best models. The list of possible benefits from nanotechnology is limited only by our imaginations. 

The most important application recently developed for synthetic liposomes is as potential drug carriers for controlled release, especially for cancer chemotherapy (7). In general, the success of liposomes as vehicles for the transport of specific drugs will largely depend on their stability under physiological conditions. Unlike the naturally occurring membranes, the synthetic vesicles have very limited stability, and this is a... 

An exciting area in inclusion chemistry is the design and synthesis of molecules which could behave as ion channels. Future developments in this field offer the potential for developing new synthetic antibiotic molecules, model systems for investigating transport across membranes, and ion channels specific for particular ions. Such studies are so far only in their infancy. 

Macrocyclic compounds with ion-chelating properties occur naturally and often function as ionophores, translocating ions across biological membranes many of these compounds are small cyclic polypeptides. Some natural carboxylic polyethers are selective for Li+ and are, therefore, ionophores for Li+. Monensin, shown in Figure Id, is a natural ionophore for Na+ but it will also complex with Li+ and it has been shown to mediate the transport of Li+ across phospholipid bilayers [21]. It has been proposed that synthetic Li+-specific ionophores have a potential role as adjuvants in lithium therapy, the aim being to reduce the amount of... 

Though the experimental parameters and types of membrane proteins examined here were not yet extensive, the results reported in this (and a following report) demonstrate the potential of synthetic glycolipid lyotropic LCs. The synthetic glycolipids that are "biocompatibile" and display low values of Tm ( < 0 °C) will open up a new route to construct novel biomolecular architectures involving membrane proteins. 

As discussed by Lonsdale , since the 1960s a new technology using synthetic membranes for process separations has been rapidly developed by materials scientists, physical chemists and chemical engineers. Such membrane separations have been widely applied to a range of conventionally difficult separations. They potentially offer the advantages of ambient temperature operation, relatively low capital and running costs, and modular construction. In this chapter, the nature and scope of membrane separation processes are outlined, and then those processes most frequently used industrially are described more fully. 

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