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Silicon for the perfect membrane

2007; Nature Portfolio; Volume: 445; Issue: 7129 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1038/445726a

1476-4687

Albert van den Berg, Matthias Weßling,

Microfluidic and Bio-sensing Technologies

Newly developed ultrathin silicon membranes can filter and separate molecules much more effectively than conventional polymer membranes. Many applications, of economic and medical significance, stand to benefit. Procedures for purifying, processing, and identifying biological molecules are becoming increasingly miniaturized and automated. These efforts would benefit from an efficient filter material that could be readily incorporated into microfluidic systems. A team based at the University of Rochester in New York has now developed ultrathin silicon membranes with controllable pore size, and used them for the separation of proteins based on size or charge. The membranes are molecularly thin (15 nm) to maximize transport rates and minimize protein losses yet are extremely tough. These membranes are inexpensive to manufacture, and the silicon platform makes them well suited for use in microfluidic devices.