法国蒙彼利埃大学Mihail Barboiu研究组取得一项新突破，他们设计了一种用于选择性水渗透的羟基人工水通道。这一研究成果于2021年2月26日发表在国际顶尖学术期刊《美国化学会志》上。

在该文中，研究团队报道了能够自组装成亲水性羟基通道的辛烷-脲-多元醇人工水通道（AWC）。研究人员尝试用乙醇、丙二醇和三甲醇作为分子头部的羟基基团以调节水的传输透过率，并拒绝离子的透过。羟基通道实现了每秒2.33×10⁸个水分子的单通道渗透性，与水通道蛋白的传输速率处于同一数量级。

随着分子在膜中的浓度变化，研究人员在膜中观察到自适应通道。当分子浓度增加时，这种自适应通道会发生明显的变化，从而引发意想不到的更高的水渗透性。分子模拟表明，此时海绵状或圆柱状聚集体形成，以生成穿透双层膜的瞬态水团簇通道。

总之，自适应自组装是影响通道效率的关键特征。该文中描述的自适应通道可被认为是一个重要的里程碑，有助于系统地发现用于海水淡化的人工水通道。

据介绍，人工水通道（AWC）是一种已知的可以选择性拒绝离子而让水通过的结构。与天然水通道蛋白类似，AWC通过将线状或团簇状水分子封装起来，从而提供了连续重复的氢键网络，这一效应在稳定其结构中发挥了重要作用。

附：英文原文

Title: Hydroxy Channels–Adaptive Pathways for Selective Water Cluster Permeation

Author: Li-Bo Huang, Arthur Hardiagon, Istvan Kocsis, Cristina-Alexandra Jegu, Mihai Deleanu, Arnaud Gilles, Arie van der Lee, Fabio Sterpone, Marc Baaden, Mihail Barboiu

Issue&Volume: February 26, 2021

Abstract: Artificial water channels (AWCs) are known to selectively transport water, with ion exclusion. Similarly to natural porins, AWCs encapsulate water wires or clusters, offering continuous and iterative H-bonding that plays a vital role in their stabilization. Herein, we report octyl-ureido-polyol AWCs capable of self-assembly into hydrophilic hydroxy channels. Variants of ethanol, propanediol, and trimethanol are used as head groups to modulate the water transport permeabilities, with rejection of ions. The hydroxy channels achieve a single-channel permeability of 2.33 × 108 water molecules per second, which is within the same order of magnitude as the transport rates for aquaporins. Depending on their concentration in the membrane, adaptive channels are observed in the membrane. Over increased concentrations, a significant shift occurs, initiating unexpected higher water permeation. Molecular simulations probe that spongelike or cylindrical aggregates can form to generate transient cluster water pathways through the bilayer. Altogether, the adaptive self-assembly is a key feature influencing channel efficiency. The adaptive channels described here may be considered an important milestone contributing to the systematic discovery of artificial water channels for water desalination.

DOI: 10.1021/jacs.0c11952

Source: https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/jacs.0c11952