Comment on "Enhanced water permeability and tunable ion selectivity in subnanometer carbon nanotube porins".

Horner, Andreas; Pohl, Peter · Science · 2018

editorial · Level V

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Abstract

Tunuguntla <i>et al</i> (Reports, 25 August 2017, p. 792) report that permeation of single-file water occurs faster through carbon nanotubes than through aquaporins. We show that this conclusion violates fundamental thermodynamic laws: Because of its much lower activation energy, aquaporin-mediated water transport must be orders of magnitude faster. Leakage at the nanotube-membrane interface may explain the discrepancy.

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