Microporous polymer membranes for light-gated ion transport

In a new report now published in Science Advances, Zongyao Zhou and a team of scientists in chemical engineering and physical science and engineering at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Saudi Arabia developed an artificial light-gated ion channel membrane using conjugated microporous polymers. The team was inspired by light-gated ion channels in cell membranes that play an important role in many biological activities to precisely regulate the membrane pore size and thickness at the molecular level via bottom-up design and electropolymerization methods. The process led to reversible "on/off" light control for light-gated ion transport across the membrane to deliver hydrogen, potassium, sodium, lithium, calcium, magnesium and aluminum ions.