Bioinspired Solid‐State Ion Nanochannels: Insight from Channel Fabrication and Ion Transport

Abstract

With specific structures and unique features, biological ion channel proteins play crucial roles in many life processes of living organisms. Inspired by the biological ion channel proteins, researchers have developed a variety of artificial nanochannels to explore the mechanisms of selective ion transport and achieve applications in molecular filters, biosensors, and energy conversion devices. The ion transport behavior in nanochannels is mainly governed by the interaction between ions and the nanochannels interface. Herein, the structures, fabrication methods, and ion transport properties of biomimetic solid-state ion nanochannels are reviewed, with emphasis on the transport performance and mechanism of nanochannels. In addition, the current challenges faced and the future outlooks of these solid-sate ion nanochannels for practical applications are discussed.