ABSTRACT

Desalination is considered one of the strongest alternatives to face global water scarcity. Since conventional reverse osmosis is an energy-intensive process, Aquaporin biomimetic membranes (ABM) emerge as an effective alternative to increase productivity and reduce energy consumption. Despite the highly theoretical water permeability and selectivity of aquaporins (Aqps), in practice, ABM did not achieve the expected performance. This review is focused on each step of the ABM fabrication process in order to find critical points where efforts should be made for future studies. Fabrication procedures include Aqp production, reconstitution into vesicles, immobilization in porous substrates and filtration performance. The principal identified challenge is the need for implementing monitoring and optimization techniques. Also, new strategies for protein production, stabilization, reconstitution, and support affinity could offer significant breakthroughs for developing ABMs as a viable emerging technology.

摘要

海水淡化被认为是应对全球水资源短缺的最强有力的替代方案之一。由于传统的反渗透是一种能源密集型工艺，因此水通道蛋白仿生膜 (ABM) 成为提高生产力和降低能源消耗的有效替代品。尽管水通道蛋白 (Aqps) 具有很高的理论透水性和选择性，但在实践中，ABM 并未达到预期的性能。本综述重点关注 ABM 制造过程的每个步骤，以便找到应为未来研究做出努力的关键点。制造程序包括 Aqp 生产、重组成囊泡、固定在多孔基质中和过滤性能。确定的主要挑战是需要实施监控和优化技术。还，