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PreprintCC BY-NC-NDChemRxiv

pH-responsive nanopores enable programmable transmembrane potential

  • KM. Archana Yadav1
  • Ritupan Sarmah1
  • Bibhab Bandhu Majumdar2
  • Renjith B. Nelliyil3,4,5
  • Jaideep Mor3,4,5
  • A R Ramya1
  • Mukesh Kumar1
  • Prashant Kumar Singh1
  • Sandeep K. Sharma3,4,5
  • Jagannath Mondal1
  • Tharangattu N Narayanan1
  • Ritesh Haldar1
5 affiliations
  1. 1Tata Institute of Fundamental Research Hyderabad
  2. 2School of Advanced Sciences, VIT-AP University, Amaravati, Andhra Pradesh, 522241
  3. 3Radiochemistry Division
  4. 4Bhabha Atomic Research Centre
  5. 5Homi Bhabha National Institute
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Abstract

Biological ion channels achieve highly selective, ultrafast ion transport through stimulus-responsive gating, in which conformational changes triggered by chemical cues such as pH that modulate channel permeability with exquisite precision. Replicating this coupled chemical-structural functionality in synthetic membranes remains a fundamental challenge, particularly for scalable platforms relevant to energy harvesting, desalination, and chemical sensing. Here, we report a bioinspired polymer-metal-organic framework (MOF) composite membrane in which an amino acid (histidine) functionalized MOF nanopores serve as synthetic proton-gated anion channel. The histidine modified, spatially confined ion transport pathway exhibited selective Cl- diffusion at pH 4, enabling pH programmable control of transmembrane potential. Micrometer-scale percolated transport networks within the composite membrane, architecturally inspired by ion channels embedded in lipid bilayers, translate localized αNH2(histidine)-anion specific interaction into macroscopic, anion selective transmembrane potential output. This work establishes a generalizable design strategy for coupling chemical gating with macroscopic ion transport in synthetic membrane systems, with direct implications for ion separations, sensing and osmotic energy generation.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@misc{yadav2026phresponsive,
  title = {{pH-responsive nanopores enable programmable transmembrane potential}},
  author = {KM. Archana Yadav and Ritupan Sarmah and Bibhab Bandhu Majumdar and Renjith B. Nelliyil and Jaideep Mor and A R Ramya and Mukesh Kumar and Prashant Kumar Singh and Sandeep K. Sharma and Jagannath Mondal and Tharangattu N Narayanan and Ritesh Haldar},
  howpublished = {ChemRxiv},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  doi = {10.26434/chemrxiv.15009881/v1},
  url = {https://chemrxiv.org/doi/full/10.26434/chemrxiv.15009881/v1},
  note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}
RIS
TY  - UNPB
TI  - pH-responsive nanopores enable programmable transmembrane potential
AU  - KM. Archana Yadav
AU  - Ritupan Sarmah
AU  - Bibhab Bandhu Majumdar
AU  - Renjith B. Nelliyil
AU  - Jaideep Mor
AU  - A R Ramya
AU  - Mukesh Kumar
AU  - Prashant Kumar Singh
AU  - Sandeep K. Sharma
AU  - Jagannath Mondal
AU  - Tharangattu N Narayanan
AU  - Ritesh Haldar
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/05
PB  - ChemRxiv
DO  - 10.26434/chemrxiv.15009881/v1
UR  - https://chemrxiv.org/doi/full/10.26434/chemrxiv.15009881/v1
AB  - Biological ion channels achieve highly selective, ultrafast ion transport through stimulus-responsive gating, in which conformational changes triggered by chemical cues such as pH that modulate channel permeability with exquisite precision. Replicating this coupled chemical-structural functionality in synthetic membranes remains a fundamental challenge, particularly for scalable platforms relevant to energy harvesting, desalination, and chemical sensing. Here, we report a bioinspired polymer-metal-organic framework (MOF) composite membrane in which an amino acid (histidine) functionalized MOF nanopores serve as synthetic proton-gated anion channel. The histidine modified, spatially confined ion transport pathway exhibited selective Cl- diffusion at pH 4, enabling pH programmable control of transmembrane potential. Micrometer-scale percolated transport networks within the composite membrane, architecturally inspired by ion channels embedded in lipid bilayers, translate localized αNH2(histidine)-anion specific interaction into macroscopic, anion selective transmembrane potential output. This work establishes a generalizable design strategy for coupling chemical gating with macroscopic ion transport in synthetic membrane systems, with direct implications for ion separations, sensing and osmotic energy generation.
ER  -