Membranes 2013, 3(3), 151-154; doi:10.3390/membranes3030151
Intelligent Membranes: Dream or Reality?
Institute on Membrane Technology—Research National Council (ITM-CNR), c/o University of Calabria, Via P. Bucci, 17C, 87036 Rende (CS), Italy
Received: 11 July 2013 / Accepted: 11 July 2013 / Published: 15 July 2013
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Responsive Polymer Membranes)
Abstract
Intelligent materials are claimed to overcome current drawbacks associated with the attainment of high standards of life, health, security and defense. Membrane-based sensors represent a category of smart systems capable of providing a large number of benefits to different markets of textiles, biomedicine, environment, chemistry, agriculture, architecture, transport and energy. Intelligent membranes can be characterized by superior sensitivity, broader dynamic range and highly sophisticated mechanisms of autorecovery. These prerogatives are regarded as the result of multi-compartment arrays, where complementary functions can be accommodated and well-integrated. Based on the mechanism of “sense to act”, stimuli-responsive membranes adapt themselves to surrounding environments, producing desired effects such as smart regulation of transport, wetting, transcription, hydrodynamics, separation, and chemical or energy conversion. Hopefully, the design of new smart devices easier to manufacture and assemble can be realized through the integration of sensing membranes with wireless networks, looking at the ambitious challenge to establish long-distance communications. Thus, the transfer of signals to collecting systems could allow continuous and real-time monitoring of data, events and/or processes.Keywords:
responsive membranes; sensors; biomimetic interfaces; wetting; transport; separation; self-cleaning; self-healing; electronic textiles; smart gels; actuators
▼
Figures
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 3.0).
Scifeed alert for new publications
Never miss any articles matching your research from any publisher- Get alerts for new papers matching your research
- Find out the new papers from selected authors
- Updated daily for 49'000+ journals and 6000+ publishers
- Define your Scifeed now
Share & Cite This Article
MDPI and ACS Style
Gugliuzza, A. Intelligent Membranes: Dream or Reality? Membranes 2013, 3, 151-154.
Related Articles
Article Metrics
Comments
[Return to top]
Membranes
EISSN 2077-0375
Published by MDPI AG, Basel, Switzerland
RSS
E-Mail Table of Contents Alert