Biological nano-channels expressed in living cells, where they ensure keyphysiological functions, feature outstanding efficiency in terms of both ionselectivity and conductivity. The latter generally exceeds, by 3 to 4 orderof magnitude, the values expected from classical hydrodynamics. This propertyof biological nano-channels may result from their pore width in the rangeof the Debye length (0.3-30 nm) and this currently grounds many researchworks aimed at developing the use of solid-state porous nano-materials for‘‘high-throughput’’ molecular and ion sensing or sorting, with applicationssuch as drug delivery, energy conversion, water desalination and others. Singlewalled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs), which make nano-pores with welldefinedstructural and physical properties, may allow us to overcomingmany limitations of other nano-materials. The possibility of transportingions and molecules through these SWNTs has already been reported by othergroups (Lee et al., 2010, Science 329:1320; Liu et al., 2010, Science 327:64).In this context, we aim at studying the usableness of SWNT-incorporating devicesfor discriminating ions and single small biomolecules, using nucleotidesand amino acids as model compounds. Here, we will present the first part ofthis work, which consists in the fabrication of microfluidic devices incorporatingindividual SWNTs and the study of ion transport inside these devicesusing ionic current measurements, i.e. patch-clamp type. A study of the selectivityof these SWNTs will be also shown using different cations-basedelectrolytes.

The objective of this work is to study the effect of interlayer cations on the mechanism of adsorption-desorption of water in the case of a montmorillonite exchanged by alkali metals. This is done through thermodynamic measurements, i.e. isotherms of adsorption and desorption of water. The raw material is subjected to purification treatment by using the sedimentation followed by cationic exchange. IR and XRD analysis of the dry state confirm that the treatment used for obtaining homoionic clays does not deteriorate their structure. The value of the interlayer distance d001obtained from XRD depends directly on the cation radius. IR spectra recorded on our montmorillonite reveals that the area ratio νOH/νSiO peaks which corresponds to the amount of adsorbed water under room atmosphere follows the sequence: K >Rb> Cs > Li > Na In accordance the evolution observed for the desorption enthalpies. The adsorption and desorption isotherms show that the nature of the compensating cation considerably changes the adsorbed / desorbed amount for a given water relative pressure. Thus, the total amount of water adsorbed at P/P0 = 0.5 follows the same sequence.

The response of micrometric pseudo-single crystals of β-H2NiO2, deposited on an Au substrate and submitted to high rate charge/discharge cycling under controlled current conditions, is studied by in situ μ-Raman spectroscopy. The intensities of the Raman background and of the hydroxyl stretching band are used to probe in time the single-particle surface and bulk oxidation states respectively. Results, obtained in the absence of electrical binders and chemical dopants, substantiate previous electrochemical investigations suggesting that the occurrence of the nickel electrode activation process is related to the formation of a thin surface limiting layer hindering the active material capacity to store and deliver energy. The feasibility of in situ μ-Raman spectroscopy on nickel hydroxide single particles submitted to electrochemical operation is demonstrated for the first time.

This study aims to investigate the influence of interlayer cation alkali metal series (Li+, Na+, K+, Rb+, Cs+) and alkali earth metal (Mg2 +, Ca2 +, Ba2 +) on adsorption of model proteins (lysozyme and bovine serum albumin). The localizations of both proteins and their conformational modifications in the interlayer space of the natural clay mineral were studied by X-ray diffraction, transmission electronic microscopy and fluorescence experiments. Based on Langmuir model isotherms, a strong influence of interlayer cation on maximum adsorbed amount and adsorption equilibrium constant has been observed. However the usual kosmotrope/chaotrope classification cannot be used to describe protein adsorption.

Specific separations of protons and cations are usually performed by electromembrane processes, which require external electric energy. An easier process would be using a membrane able to separate both entities by passive diffusion. Presently, such synthetic nanoporous membranes do not exist. Here, we report the production of a robust hybrid biological/artificial solid-state membrane, which allows selective permeation of alkali metal cations without competing or concurrent permeation of protons. This membrane is simple to prepare and is based on the hydrophobic nature of the polymeric pore walls, and the confined gramicidin A molecules within. This work opens a new route for separation in the domain of nanobiofiltration, especially for tunable nanodevices based on differential ion conduction, with a fundamental understanding of the confinement mechanism.

Sodium chondroitin-4-sulfate and poly(amino-serinate) bromide can interact to form a degradable polyelectrolyte complex. The structure of each polymer and of their complex before and after degradation is investigated by complex impedance spectroscopy. Poly(amino-serinate) bromide and sodium chondroitin-4-sulfate exhibit dc conductivity and dielectric relaxation phenomena in the 102–106 Hz range. On the contrary, no dc conductivity and dielectric relaxation are observed in the polyelectrolyte complex before degradation. After degradation, the released chondroitin-4-sulfate is re-complexed with additional poly(amino-serinate) bromide. Contrary to the original parent complex the restored complex exhibits both dc conductivity and dielectric relaxation phenomena. This difference is assigned to structural defects due to the presence of residual poly(amino-serinate) oligomers which compete with the newly added poly(amino-serinate) to complex the released chondroitin-4-sulfate. This outcome is interpreted assuming the displacement of the low molecular by higher molecular weight chains in contrast to the behavior usually reported for this type of polymeric systems.

Biological ion channels present unique ionic properties. They can be highly permeable to ions, while selecting only one type of ions, without external energy supply. An important research field has been developed to transfer these properties to solid state nanoporous membranes in order to develop artificial biomimetic nanofilters. One of the promising ways to develop biomimetic structures is based on the direct insertion of the gramicidin A, i.e. an ionic channel, inside a nanopore. Experiments have recently proved the feasibility of such a hybrid membrane with very interesting results regarding the ionic selectivity. Here, we propose to interpret these experiments using theoretical molecular dynamic simulations which allow us to analyze more profoundly the structures of the proteins confined inside the nanopore and the relation between their conformation and the observed ionic properties.