Novel membranes for simulating biological barrier transport

The preparation of a novel type of artificial membrane using microporous membranes as scaffold material is discussed in this paper. A solvent displacement technique was used to prepare supported liquid membranes having parallel water and organic solvent filled pores. These membranes can potentially be used to simulate biological barrier transport processes. Simple permeability prediction studies showed that the effects of solute molar volume and octanol-water partition coefficient on solute transport through these membranes are similar to those observed with certain biological barriers. Experimental studies carried out using model hydrophilic and hydrophobic compounds supported theoretically predicted trends. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.