Langmuir

We typically think of robots as metal objects, filled with motors and circuits. But the field of molecular robotics is starting to change that. Like the formation of complex living organisms, molecular robots derive their form and functionality from assembled molecules stored in a single unit, i.e., a body. Yet manufacturing this body at the microscopic level is an engineering nightmare. Now, a Tohoku University team has created a simple workaround.

Researchers from Tohoku University have unveiled an ion-selective smart porous membrane that can respond to outer stimuli. Until now, scientists had struggled to apply smart porous membranes to porous thin films of below 10 nm. The developed membranes, however, are applicable to porous thin films with a thickness of 8 nm, paving the way for new applications in molecular separation and sensing applications.

A technique to generate large amounts of giant vesicle (liposome) dispersion has been developed. The technique involves adsorbing a lipid into a silicone porous material resembling a "marshmallow-like gel" and then squeezing it out like a sponge by impregnating a buffer solution.