Translocation across a self-healing block copolymer membrane

Abstract

Herein, a membrane prepared from the self-assembly of poly(styrene-co-acrylonitrile)-b-poly(ethylene oxide)-b-poly(styrene-co-acrylonitrile) micelles is found to exhibit translocation of nano-objects dispersed in aqueous solution. With the water flow as a driving force, temporary pores are created in between the micelles to facilitate the passage of nano-objects. These temporary pores close afterwards through a self-healing mechanism. As main results, polystyrene and silica nanoparticles exhibited a selective translocation directly influenced by their size and applied pressure.