Selective recognition, condensation and separation of nanomaterials using regularly arrayed nanostructure prepared by self-assembly

由于纳米技术的进步，制备纳米尺度的孔或纳米孔变得很容易。表面活性剂形成了许多不同的相结构，包括立方相、胶束相和片状相结构，因此是制备纳米孔结构的很有前途的材料。以聚氧乙烯(50)十二烷基醚(C12EO50)为原料，制备了具有立方结构的凝胶基质。这种凝胶基质在填充的球形胶束之间规则地排列着纳米孔。我们使用该凝胶通过平板凝胶电泳法分离生物分子。该凝胶适用于氨基酸和多肽的迁移；然而，较大的分子，如蛋白质和单壁碳纳米管，不能通过该凝胶迁移。我们的结论是，对于大分子的渗透来说，孔尺寸太小，并且只有小分子才能穿透凝胶基质。小分子的迁移机制与常规凝胶电泳法相似。我们的结论是，由表面活性剂制备的凝胶基质是一种有前途的小分子迁移和纯化基质。我们还预计，这种凝胶可以作为纳米级的过滤器来捕获大分子，只允许小分子通过。

The preparation of nanometer-scale pores, or nanopores, has become easy because of the progress in nanotechnology. Surfactants are promising materials for the preparation of nanostructures containing nanopores, because surfactants form many different phase structures, including cubic, micellar, and lamellar structures. We prepared a gel matrix with a cubic structure from a commercially available surfactant, polyoxyethylene(50) lauryl ether (C12EO50). This gel matrix had regularly arrayed nanopores between the packed spherical micelles. We used the gel to separate biomolecules by means of slab gel electrophoresis. The gel was applicable to migration of amino acids and peptides; however, larger molecules, such as proteins and single-walled carbon nanotubes, did not migrate through the gel. We concluded that the pore size was too small for the penetration of large molecules, and that only small molecules could penetrate the gel matrix. The migrationmechanism of smallmolecules was similar to that observed in conventional gel electrophoresis. We concluded that the gelmatrix prepared from surfactant is a promising matrix for migration and purification of small molecules. We also expect that the gel can be used as a nanoscale filter to trap large molecules, allowing only small molecules to pass.