Fabrication and application of nanoporous polymer ion-track membranes

Abstract

With the development of the nano-fabrication and nanofluidics, nanoporous membranes have shown great potential in applications such as molecular separation, energy conversion, and molecular sensing. However, their performance has often been limited by the trade-off between selectivity and permeability and the lack of scalability. The prospect of overcoming these problems with nanoporous polymer ion-track membranes is promising. Focusing on these membranes, this review provides a comprehensive overview of fabrication methods, including the traditional track-etching technique and the recently developed track-UV technique; characterization methods; transport mechanisms; and major properties and applications.