Modeling the Interactions between Membranes and Inclusions: Designing Self-Cleaning Films and Resealing Pores

摘要

The design of responsive membranes whose interactions with inclusions can be controlled through the application of an external stimulus is reviewed with the aim to establish guidelines for introducing functionality into the materials. For a photo-reactive AB membrane, we find that a gradient in light intensity can be harnessed to clean the system of any C "impurities", or target the delivery of C to specific locations. By modeling the interactions between a lipid bilayer and Janus nanoparticles, we design a synthetic membrane with stable pores that can be controllably opened and closed. This leads to design rules for creating nanoparticle-bilayer assemblies where the pores open and the cargo is released only when local environmental conditions reach a critical value.