Bionic (Nano) Membranes

Abstract

The goal of this chapter is to offer a concise and clear picture of the most important artificial nanomembrane-related procedures and technologies, including those for fabrication and functionalization, and to present the main properties and potential applications, stressing recent results in the field contributed by the authors. Nanomembranes are probably the most ubiquitous building block in biology and at the same time one of the most primordial ones. Every living cell, from bacteria to the cells in human bodies, has nanomembranes acting as interfaces between the cytoplasm and its surroundings. All metabolic processes proceed through nanomembranes and involve their active participation. Functionally, the man-made nanomembrane strives to mimic this most basic biological unit. The existence of the life itself is a proof that such a fundamental task can be performed. When designing artificial nanomembranes, the whole wealth of structures and processes already enabling and supporting life is at our disposal to recreate, tailor, fine-tune, and utilize them. In some cases, the obstacles are formidable, but then the potential rewards are stunning. There is an additional advantage in bionic approach to nanomembranes: we do not have to use only the limited toolbox of materials and processes found in nature. Instead we are free to experiment with enhancements not readily met in natural structures – for instance, we may utilize nanoparticles of isotopes emitting ionizing radiation, even at lethal doses. We can introduce additional structures to our bionic nanomembranes, each carrying its own functionality, for instance nanoparticles or layers with plasmonic properties (e.g., to be used in sensing applications), target-specific binding agents (to improve selectivity) and carbonnanotube support (to enhance mechanical strength). In this way, we are able to create meta-nanomembranes with properties exceeding the known ones (Jakšić and Matovic, Materials 3:165–200, 2010). In this chapter, we present some small steps toward that goal.