Biomimetic Membranes for Forward Osmosis: From Vesicular Water Transport Efficiency to Membrane Separation Performance

Biomimetic membranes incorporating aquaporin proteins are developed for enhanced forward osmosis and low-pressure RO applications. The research targets improved water permeability without sacrificing selectivity by embedding membrane proteins into polymeric support structures. Polysomersome vesicular encapsulation strategies are examined for aquaporin stabilization, with the work addressing the pathway toward commercializing biomimetic brackish water RO technology capable of achieving significant energy cost reductions over conventional membranes.