Versatile heavy metal ion separation via biological ion-channel-inspired membranes
Jun Gao
Nature Nanotechnology, Published online: 16 April 2026; doi:10.1038/s41565-026-02147-8 Inspired by biological CaV channels that selectively speed up Ca²⁺ transport by using repulsion between single-file ions, here selective adsorbents are converted into selective membranes for the separation of heavy metal ions, including uranium, rare earth metals, copper and gold.